He-Man 1. Chapter 1

_Okay, so someone asked me to write this. She told me not to worry naming her, so I'm not sure if she would have a problem if I did, so I'm just going to say that someone gave me the topic. It's a little unconventional in He-Man fanfiction, so I agreed. I figured it had potential and she let me go anywhere I wanted to take it. So…you know who you are, thanks for giving me the topic. I hope you enjoy this story and where I took it. I tried my best._

_Warning: If you have a problem reading about women's health issues, then you might want to skip this first chapter, but it's not too bad, I promise! Also, even though this is rated T, any kiddies under 16 probably shouldn't read. This is a romance and it gets **slightly** graphic despite the topic. You've been warned!_

_-Edited-I decided to add more chapters, so don't miss them!_

**Teela's Visitor**

He-Man stood on the drawbridge of Castle Grayskull and smiled at his companions. Once again, his friends and he had prevented Skeletor from obtaining access to the castle and its secrets. Currently, Man-at-Arms was using a port-a-prison to make sure Clawful and Mer-Man weren't going anywhere. Orko was flying up to the Sorceress who was standing at the castle window. Battlecat was running back from the forest after having chased Beastman away. Only one of his usual companions was missing and he knew Man-at-Arms had probably told her of the attack so he wondered why she wasn't there.

"Duncan, where's Teela?" he asked, as he walked up to the arms specialist, who was currently loading their prisoners into the AttakTrak.

Duncan looked back at him after he had shut the back door and answered, "Teela said she was feeling a little under the weather today, so she stayed behind."

He-Man nodded and didn't say anything. Duncan didn't seem to be nervous, so he didn't want to show any anxiety either, but on the inside, his concern was running rampant. "_Teela's never sick_," he thought to himself. Since it was the morning hours, he hoped he would see her later in the day and feeling much better.

=)=)=)

Prince Adam stood in the courtyard and surveyed the area. It was time for his combat lesson and just like at the battle, Teela was nowhere in sight. He sat down on one of the benches and decided to wait for a little while. He glanced down at his pet and said, "I'm worried, Cringer—it's not like Teela to miss a combat lesson. I wonder…"

Suddenly, he paused. He thought about what day it was and closed his eyes as he berated himself. Of course. It almost had to be that.

Quickly, he stood and said, "I'm going to go see Teela. Cover for me if anyone asks."

When the tiger agreed, he ran inside and headed towards the Royal Wing. Man-at-Arms and Teela had rooms in their section of the palace, because it was good to have additional guards close in case something happened during the night hours.

As he walked through the halls, he cautiously approached Teela's door and looked around slowly to make sure no one was watching. After assuring himself that he was alone, he lifted a hand and knocked on the door softly. He was greeted by silence. At that point, he almost walked away. He figured if she wanted visitors, she would have responded to his knocking, but then pictures of Teela being sick or hurt inside the room bombarded his mind. So many things could prevent her from answering the door, especially if he was wrong about the cause and she really was sick.

Having made his decision, he tried the knob and found the door unlocked. He opened it partially and then looked around again to make sure no one was watching. He knew how this would look if someone saw him enter Teela's room and for that reason, it was forbidden regardless of how innocent his actions might be…but at that particular moment, he didn't care.

Quietly, he slipped into the room. The first place he looked was at her bed, and he almost panicked when he didn't see her, but a moment later he spotted her lying down on the couch. "Teela?" he whispered as he walked across the room towards her. Still, she didn't respond—she was asleep.

Dropping to his knees, Adam sat down and watched the sleeping beauty before him. A smile immediately came to his lips. Teela was beautiful in repose. Well, truthfully, she was beautiful at any time, but he especially liked the moments when he could just stare at her without her knowing. He loved the way her red hair stood out against her creamy skin. He even loved the slope of her neck as much as the length and smoothness of her shapely legs…

Like he always did for the past several years, he sighed as he thought about why he now had to steal glances of her when she wasn't paying attention: their relationship had changed. When they were very young, Teela and he had been playmates. They used to do everything together, and throughout those childhood years, they had built a friendship of mutual trust and respect. When she had caught him staring at her back then, he had easily brushed it off by pretending that he had been teasing her. It was accepted and expected since they were so close at that time, but he couldn't do that anymore. Everything changed once he got the Sword of Power.

Adam wasn't sure what initially started the withering of their friendship, but he knew a large reason was He-Man on so many different levels. The first time the hero had shown up, he knew Teela had been in awe of him, and he couldn't blame her. He really did seem to be larger than life to others, and he had wanted it that way. At the time, though, he had hoped the hero worship would fade in a few weeks but it hadn't. For months, Teela talked about He-Man nonstop to him and her father. He supposed it was a little silly considering he was He-Man, but he had been jealous. Why hadn't she ever talked about his true self that way?

Regardless, eventually Teela had calmed down and "He-Man" stopped being a part of her vocabulary every second of the day, but by that time, he had established his characters: He-Man was the ideal hero who could do no wrong and Adam was the sometimes foolish and carefree prince. And, unfortunately for him, the person Adam had become seemed to disgust her. She constantly berated him for being late or sleeping in. Sometimes when she hadn't known he was nearby, he had heard her complaining about him to her father, and sometimes she had even complained to his.

The person that Adam was now didn't stand a chance to be with the Captain of the Guard—he was an embarrassment after all, so all he could do was look at her from afar and daydream…which was really easy to do at this particular moment.

Adam raked his appreciative eyes over Teela's body and noticed that the captain wasn't in her standard guard outfit. Instead, she was in a pink nightgown that went all the way to her feet. Despite it covering her so modestly, he found the garment to be extremely sexy. He wanted to reach out and touch it, especially since it looked like it was made of silk. He lifted his hand to do exactly that when he heard Teela groan and her eyes opened suddenly.

Green eyes met blue, and immediately Teela let out a horrifying scream that rung throughout the room and his ears! Instantly, Adam fell back on his butt and let out a little holler of his own in response. "Teela, it's me!" he then said quickly to calm her.

"Adam!" exclaimed Teela as she sat up, but she couldn't get any farther because she quickly groaned again and hunched over, grabbing her midsection.

"Teela, are you all right?" he asked as he got back on his knees and moved towards her.

Teela merely shook her head—right now she was in too much pain to respond. Adam saw this and decided to take a chance. He immediately got to his feet, bent over, slipped one arm around her back, the other under her knees, and picked her up.

"ADAM!" she screamed again.

The prince widened his eyes at her. "If you keep screaming, Teela, everyone is going to know I'm in here and we'll both be in hot water."

She immediately quieted down and asked more calmly, "What are you doing?"

Adam carried her to the bed and laid her down. "I'm helping you." He crawled into the bed behind her, pulled her back against his chest, and wrapped his right arm around her waist. "It's that time, isn't it?" he asked as he slipped his hand to her lower abdomen right above her nether region and began to massage.

Almost instantly, Teela gasped and closed her eyes. After several minutes of Adam kneading that portion of her body thoroughly, Teela relaxed enough to ask, "How did you know?"

Adam lifted his head from her pillow, placed his head beside hers, and cradled it against her shoulder and neck. "I knew how it used to bother you when we were younger. That's the only time I ever saw you miss any appointments. When it happened today, and I knew it was around this time, I figured it must be particularly painful this month."

Teela glanced at him as best as she could since he was so close and had basically immobilized her with his position. "You know when it's…my time?" she squeaked. She sounded genuinely surprised and a little embarrassed.

"Of course, I do," he whispered. He turned his head slightly and kissed her on the cheek. "You're particularly brutal on those days, so I keep track so I can avoid our combat lessons." He laughed playfully and Teela joined him.

"Oh, Adam, I don't know whether to be furious or relieved right now," she replied, "but I must admit you do have magic fingers, so I'm grateful that you're here."

Adam smiled and kissed her cheek again. "Anytime, Teela," he whispered. Then, after several more minutes of massaging, he asked, "Better?"

"Much," she answered. "Thank you."

At that moment, Adam relaxed his body against hers. Eventually, though, he expanded his touch to her belly, but this time, he didn't massage. Instead, he simply rubbed her in gentle circles absentmindedly.

Teela gasped in pleasure and subconsciously pressed her back tightly against his chest. "Adam," she whispered, "what are you doing?"

The prince jumped a little, but then smiled when he realized what he was doing and that she hadn't pushed him away. He replied, "I'm giving you a rub now." Slowly, Adam made his circles bigger and bigger until finally his thumb and index finger brushed the underside of her breasts every time he traveled up her body. He loved the way the silk brushed against her skin and smoothed under his fingers. It was almost mesmerizing.

After several times of this happening, Teela let out a soft moan which he could tell was different from the painful groans he had heard from her earlier. He immediately closed his eyes and mumbled, "Ancients, Teela, I want to touch you so badly."

The captain quickly stiffened in his arms, and Adam realized he had spoken aloud. He pulled away, feeling like a complete fool. "I'm sorry, Teela," he spoke hurriedly; "I didn't mean to say that." He couldn't believe he had said that out loud. "_Stupid, stupid,_" he told himself fiercely.

As he slid across Teela's bed on the other side, prepared to leave, Teela lay on her back and whispered, "I wanted you to touch me, too."

He barely heard the whisper but he did. "You do?" he gasped as he widened his eyes.

Teela bit her bottom lip slightly, nodded, and lowered her eyes from his as her pale skin turned a rosy red.

Adam knew he was at a crossroad—he knew he could play it safe and leave the room, or he could take the opportunity it sounded like she was giving him. Slowly, Adam sat back down on the bed and slid next to her again.

Hesitantly, he reached out a hand and placed it on her belly again. This time instead of circling his hand, he raked it straight up her body until his hand settled between her breasts. Both started breathing heavily at this moment, but neither budged. Then, Adam shot his hand up to her face and pushed lightly on her chin to get her to look at him.

When their eyes met, Adam asked, "Are you sure? I mean, obviously, we can't…do anything, anyway." At Teela's widened eyes, he hurriedly added, "Not that I would try anything else! I just mean…I don't want things to get awkward between us if you really don't want me to…"

Teela immediately brought her hand over his and pushed it down to where she wanted it. After holding him there for several seconds and staring into Adam's eyes lovingly, she dropped her hand from his. "You're just helping me feel better. This area swells, too, when it's…that time," she whispered.

Adam laughed and smiled before he explored her chest thoroughly. Eventually, Adam felt emboldened by her willingness to do this with him and the soft gasps he heard every so often, so he bent his body over hers and kissed her neck tenderly. When he heard Teela moan, he brought his lips around to the center of her throat and followed her neck to her chin. He paused there briefly, waiting to see if there would be any objection. When there wasn't, he continued on his path and placed his lips squarely on hers.

The enthusiasm in which Teela kissed him surprised the prince, but he quickly gave as good as he got. He nipped, licked, and sucked her lips continuously before he finally gave into the need and explored her mouth extensively.

Eventually, though, Adam pulled away and brought his hand back to her lower abdomen. "Everything's okay here, right?" he questioned, massaging her again.

Teela's skin was now flushed from their heated exchange, so Adam couldn't tell if she was blushing, but he had a suspicion that she was. "It's fine," she whispered as she wrapped one hand around his neck to pull him down to her again.

As their lips met once more, Man-at-Arms' voice echoed throughout the room. "Teela, answer if you hear me. I just wanted to check on you, my daughter, and to let you know I'm coming up to bring you something for your pain."

Frantically, Adam tore his lips from hers and they stared at each other wide-eyed. Teela grabbed her comlink from her bedside table and answered, "Yes, Father. Thank you for letting me know. I'll see you soon."

Turning the communicator off, she said, "I'm sorry things had to end this way, but…"

Adam nodded as he jumped off the bed, "I know…I have to go!" He started heading towards the door but abruptly stopped himself. He then quickly ran around the bed to her side, bent over, and kissed her deeply. When he pulled back, he whispered softly, "I've dreamed of moments like this, but I never thought they'd happen."

Before Teela could reply, Adam ran out of the room and shut the door quietly. He was just in time because as soon as he began to walk away, Man-at-Arms slipped around the corner.

"Hi, Duncan," Adam greeted. "Off duty already?"

Man-at-Arms almost seemed to eye him suspiciously but merely replied, "No, I'm bringing Teela some medication. What are you doing here so early in the afternoon?"

Adam simply smiled and replied, "You know me, Man-at-Arms. I'm always lounging around and taking naps."

Quickly, he walked away and headed back outside with a huge grin covering his face.

=)=)=)

_Well, I hope you enjoyed the story. And, I just wanted to point out that the title worked on two levels. I debated on it for a while, so hopefully, you think it fits as well. Anyway, any feedback on the story will be appreciated. =)_


	2. Chapter 2

_As you know, this story was intended to be a one-shot, but since so many of you requested another chapter, I decided that I would write one. You talked me into it. Any further than that, I haven't decided. I suppose if you want another I might. But in any case, thank you for the wonderful responses. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much._

Teela's Visitor Chapter 2

He stared into the distance, but he didn't really see anything. His senses were caught in reverie of what had transpired just a few hours ago: Teela lay in his arms, pressing her back tightly against him as he raked circles across her torso. Silk rippling and then straightening under his fingertips. Her sharp intakes of breath every so often as he hit a particularly sensitive spot on her body. Soft sounds of what could only be pleasure resounding in his ears.

Slowly, he then replayed the moments of when he had moved on to bigger and better things. The sounds had definitely gotten louder as things became more personal and sensual. Everything had gotten better: eye contact, sureness that he wasn't in this alone. She was with him every step of the way—never once did she close her eyes for an extensive amount of time. She didn't think about He-Man or anyone else—she focused only on Adam. Touch, not only did he touch her softness in places he never had before, she allowed him to touch her with his lips and then kiss her, not as a playmate and childhood friend, but as a man. The memory made him shiver and close his eyes briefly to savor the experience all over again.

Even though it hadn't happened, his mind now supplied things that could have happened if they had not been interrupted by Man-at-Arms. He could almost imagine Teela chanting his name repeatedly.

"Adam… Adam… ADAM!"

Prince Adam jerked his head towards the voice and saw his parents staring at him from the throne. A blush crept from his neckline and consumed his face—they seemed to be studying him and despite the knowledge that they couldn't read his thoughts, the scrutiny unsettled him nonetheless. He supposed he had missed something while he had been daydreaming and they were waiting for an answer.

"I'm sorry," he spoke awkwardly; "Were you saying something?"

King Randor narrowed his eyes inquisitively. "Yes, we were asking you what is on the wall that has you so captivated, son."

Adam glanced to the empty space before him and replied, "Nothing. I was a million miles away, thinking."

"Oh, really," inquired his mother; "Thinking about what?"

Heat spread throughout his body and he knew his blush became even more pronounced.

The queen raised her brow in what seemed to be surprise and spoke hurriedly, "We can talk about it later, Adam. No need in sharing now—we're about to get started."

Grateful for the reprieve, he turned his attention to his father who still looked at him intently. They exchanged glances for a moment before the king announced for the guards to let the court inside.

=)=)=)

Several hours later, Adam stood in his room and stared at the mirror. He ran his fingers through his bangs gingerly. He wanted everything to be perfect. "_What are you doing?_" he questioned himself suddenly. "_You're acting like you've never attended dinner with Teela before._"

Yes, he had attended royal dinners with Teela before. They ate together with his and her family every afternoon, but this was the first time they would attend dinner together after…expressing a mutual attraction for one another.

He still couldn't believe it. Ever since he had received the Sword of Power, he believed Teela would never give him a second glance. He-Man had enchanted her at first, and then Adam had disappointed her. When given the choice, he had thought she would choose He-Man. Probably most would. Who wouldn't want to be with the flawless Champion of Eternia, after all?

"_Of course, she hasn't said she wants to be with you,_" he chided himself. He was making a lot of assumptions based on—let's face it—a brief make-out session. But he knew Teela wasn't the type of girl to make-out with just anyone. He went on to think, "_My dear captain says exactly what she thinks and does exactly what she wants to do. Everyone always knows where they stand with her."_

He took a deep breath. Except for now. He didn't know where he stood, because Man-at-Arms had interrupted them. He didn't have a doubt in his mind that they would have discussed what had happened afterwards. They wouldn't have let each other stay in this state of limbo. Closing his eyes and steeling himself for whatever might transpire, Adam hoped fervently that she felt the same way about him as he did for her. He breathed deeply one more time before leaving his room and making his way to the dining room.

When he arrived, air lodged itself in his throat. He could hardly breathe. There she was, sitting across from where he would sit, wearing a simple green dress with a brown belt at her waist. The contrast between her hair and the emerald-colored dress was a sight to behold, and he felt the desire to tell her exactly how beautiful she was, but he knew he couldn't without causing a spectacle.

With a grin, he continued to walk into the room and made his way to his seat. He couldn't help but wonder if she had worn this for him. Since they had grown up, he couldn't remember a time when she had worn a dress to dinner (aside from those times when they had visitors present).

"Good afternoon, son," greeted Randor as he walked around his parents to get to his seat.

"Good afternoon, Father," he greeted as he sat down. He then turned to each person present at their own turn. "Mother, Man-at-Arms, Orko, Cringer…Teela."

Adam stared at Teela and observed the captain's quick glance towards him as a rosy hue shined across her cheeks.

"Adam," she replied softly.

He didn't know how to take her response. While he was quite aware that she didn't want their parents to know what had transpired between them—he didn't either—he wasn't sure if she was embarrassed because of what they had done or if she was suddenly shy because of it. He decided he would try subtly to glean an answer to his questions by speaking to her.

"Are you feeling better now?"

Teela turned her complete attention to Adam now, as did the entire table.

"I didn't know you were feeling unwell, Captain," the king interrupted, glancing from Adam to Teela.

Man-at-Arms looked at the prince with the same expression he had in the hallway earlier: a little suspicious. "I didn't know you knew."

Adam nodded and replied, "Yes, remember you told me…after you got back from the battle at Castle Grayskull." Actually, he had told He-Man while he was still at Grayskull, but he knew Duncan would understand his actual meaning.

"Oh, yes," he muttered and then turned to the king to tell him that she was fine.

At that moment, Adam stretched his foot out under the table to tap hers. "So, are you?" he whispered when he regained her attention.

She glanced at the others briefly—her skin still showed her blush predominantly—and then replied, "Yes, I feel a little better. Father brought me some medication that helped. I also found…other ways that helped greatly."

The meaning was clear, and he tried to keep a straight face. "Well, maybe you should continue that treatment so you'll continue to improve."

Her blush deepened and she mumbled, "Maybe."

Now, he couldn't control it—he knew he was grinning like a loon. And, unfortunately for him, Man-at-Arms had turned around and seen his grin. The soldier looked slightly confused and Adam knew Duncan must be questioning what he had missed, especially when he had turned to his daughter and seen her fighting desperately to contain her own smile.

"What are you two grinning about?" he asked.

Teela turned to her father and said amusedly, "Oh, you know Adam, Father. He's always cracking jokes and having fun." She sighed and gave him a stern look. "He was just talking about one of his mischievous adventures today."

It wasn't a complete lie—it had been an adventure. He was good at half-truths and it seemed Teela was, too.

"And, I'd rather not share with the table," he whispered to Duncan and purposefully glanced at his parents. He knew his gesture would make Man-at-Arms feel like he was in the loop and therefore he would drop the subject…for now.

From that point forward, dinner had progressed as it always had. His parents talked about what they had done that day briefly before Orko interrupted to entertain them with his magic. As usual, and probably to their luck, Orko had goofed up. This time he had managed to drop a bowl of jelly onto Man-at-Arms' head which made him leave early to clean himself up. Adam was grateful that he wouldn't have to deal with any questions coming from Teela's father right now—that would have been awkward.

When dinner finally ended, Adam followed Teela from the room. He kept his distance a little, unsure if he should simply walk up to her or give her some space. She was walking away speedily, which meant she might want to avoid him, and he didn't want to freak her out.

As they turned the corner which led to the Royal Wing, Teela abruptly stopped and Adam found himself stopping, as well. She turned around, stared at him, and asked, "Well, what are you doing back there?"

Sighing with relief, he jogged to her and smirked. "I think you know."

"No, I really don't." She rolled her eyes playfully and began to walk again.

As they walked together, Adam couldn't stop himself from glancing over at her every few seconds. He saw out of his peripheral vision that she was doing the same to him every time he looked away. Finally, they arrived at Teela's bedroom and he pivoted to face her and lean on the doorframe.

"Are you turning in for the night?" he asked, softly.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe."

Adam took a deep breath and looked around. Nervously when he met her gaze, he questioned, "Would you care to join me on the balcony? We could enjoy the sunset and talk."

It was something they did all the time, but they both knew today would be different. They wouldn't talk about mundane, ordinary topics. They would discuss what had happened between them. He held his breath, worried that she wouldn't want to.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. Teela nodded and whispered, "I would love to."

Adam let go of the air he had been holding and smiled as she stepped away from her door and headed towards their usual spot. Like he had earlier in the day, he decided at that moment to take a chance. Looking around to make sure no one was around, he ran to her side again and this time, without glancing at her or questioning anything, he grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers together.

She didn't pull away nor did her pace slow down from shock. She simply accepted the situation and treated it as the norm. This was the first time they had held hands like this, and he marveled at how tiny and soft her hand was in his. It was hard to believe that she used it to train and fight almost everyday. It was almost as unbelievable as the fact that _this_ was actually happening.

He couldn't resist the urge anymore—he turned his head slightly to look at her and her cheeks dimpled in a soft smile. The relief he felt was tremendous.

Finally, they turned onto "their balcony" and walked to the railing. Now, they were truly alone unless someone walked by behind them. They were too far up to be heard by anyone in the courtyard.

For several long moments, they simply stood there, holding hands and looking at the evening sky. Teela was the first one to speak. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

He turned to stare at her. It was the perfect opening. He wondered if she intentionally gave it to him. "Yes, it is," he whispered with only a slight hesitation, "but not as beautiful as you. I like your dress—it's different."

A blush settled on Teela's cheeks, and Adam grinned because it seemed like that was going to be the norm for them for a while. "Thanks," she replied just as softly. "I wore it for several different reasons. Right now I feel like a…bloated blowfish, so I didn't want to wear my usual clothes. Also, I thought you might like it even though I know it's nothing a courtier would wear. It's nothing fancy, but it's..." She immediately looked away.

"It's perfect," he replied. He let go of her hand, leaned his hip against the railing, and reached up to touch her face to get her to look at him. When their eyes met, he smiled and said, "I like it very much, and don't compare yourself to the other courtiers. You far surpass them, Teela. It's not fair to them, you know."

Immediately, she laughed. "Oh, Adam!" She quickly slipped into his arms and mumbled against his chest, "I was so worried this would change us and that we wouldn't have the same camaraderie that we usually do. I didn't want us to walk on eggshells."

Now, it was his turn to laugh. "I don't think it is possible for you to walk on eggshells, Teela. You'd have no problem stomping right through them." Then, he got serious. "But I do want to ask you what might perhaps be a few awkward questions."

Backing up so she could look up at him easily, she stated, "Go for it."

Bringing his hand up nervously, he scratched his head a little before finally meeting her gaze. Quickly but softly, he asked, "Were you okay with…what happened today?"

There was a brief pause as Teela looked down at their shoes. "Yes, I was okay with it." Her voice was so soft he barely heard her.

Adam now had to look at the top of her head, but he had a feeling she felt comfortable not looking at him while she answered these questions. It definitely seemed like his fiery, take-no-crap-from-anyone bodyguard was a little skittish when it came to matters of the heart. He would let her remain in her comfort zone for now. Besides, it helped him, too, because he was nervous himself.

Gathering all the courage he had, he stepped closer and brushed her arm lightly. He didn't know quite how to ask her about their relationship. Eventually, though, he closed his eyes and questioned, "Would you be okay with that happening again?"

Teela stiffened, and Adam forced himself to stand still and not run like he almost had last time. Slowly, she brought her head up and smiled at him. She reached her out and grabbed his hand. She placed it on her abdomen and whispered, "You can do it now."

He didn't have to be told twice. Instantly, he turned her around, pulled her back closely to his chest, and kneaded her abdomen leisurely. "Is it bothering you again?" he asked as he rested his head on her shoulder lightly.

"A little," she admitted before leaning her head back to rest on his shoulder.

Adam knew they would be quite a sight right now if someone saw them, but at that moment he didn't care. He brought his other hand around her waist and started rubbing her stomach as he continued to massage her lower abdomen.

"I want this to be a regular thing, even when it's not…your time," he whispered in her ear. "Would you be okay with that?"

"Yes," she gasped.

"Seriously?" he questioned again and ceased all movement.

Teela turned her head to peer into his eyes as best as she could and stated firmly, "As long as I'm the only one you're doing this with."

Adam smiled as she widened her eyes. He could tell she had been wrapped in the moment and now she couldn't believe she had said that. To put her out of her misery, he responded, "You will be. As a matter of fact, you are the only one."

Unhurriedly, she turned in his arms and said, "Good." She, then, tilted her head back and the prince took that as an invitation. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her chastely at first. Afterward, he pulled back to look into her eyes. She didn't seem worried or hesitant now. He grinned before kissing her again. This time, he kissed her with every bit of passion he felt. He wrapped his arms around her lower back and pulled her to him as closely as he could. Like before, Adam nipped at her lips softly before deepening the kiss.

Soon, both were moaning in delight, but the prince forcibly pulled away after a few minutes of intense kissing. "I have to know," he whispered, as he rested his forehead against hers. "I have to know that there's more to this. Don't get me wrong, I love this. I just want to know if you…feel anything for me."

Teela pulled back a little and asked almost sharply, "Do you think I do this with just anybody? Adam, I'm not one…"

"No!" he said hurriedly, interrupting her. "No, I don't! I—I didn't mean to imply that you were one of _those_ women! I just…I wanted to get you to say how you feel." He breathed deeply and whispered, "Even guys get a little insecure from time to time."

Teela softened her expression at his words, pulled him close again, and answered, "Yes, I have feelings for you, Adam. As frustrating as you are, I couldn't stop myself…Do you have feelings for me?"

"You know I do," he replied immediately. Instantly, he kissed her again and picked up where they left off.

They were oblivious to the world around them.


	3. Chapter 3

_Obviously, I'm going to give this story a few more chapters, especially since the person who wanted me to write this in the first place wants me to continue. It won't turn into one of my monster works, like NA, but it certainly has been a fun ride writing this one. I hope you enjoy the chapter._

Teela's Visitor Chapter 3

He didn't know how to act now.

Last night, things had been utterly perfect. The world and everything else in it had faded away as Teela and he discussed their feelings for one another. To say he had been surprised would have been an understatement. Before yesterday, he would have never believed in a million years that she could feel anything for him, much less allow him to express his feelings to her in more ways than with just mere words.

She was truly amazing…and she consumed his thoughts, more so now than ever before. His thoughts kept replaying what had happened on the balcony: they had spent the entire evening watching the sunset, kissing, and holding one another. Nothing else had existed to him at that time. Only Teela.

But now it was morning, and with the new day came a reawakening into the real world. He realized that he had no idea how he was to act now. Did she still want to hide their relationship from their parents? Did they even want to call it a relationship yet? Should he continue to treat her as simply a friend except for when they were in private? Or would she allow him to openly treat her as his consort? He realized he should have asked explicitly last night, but again, all that he had cared about at the time was her and how they had felt physically and emotionally.

He wondered if she was asking herself the same questions right now.

Comforted at the thought, he slipped out of bed and made his way to his closet. He slipped on his usual attire and then went to bathroom to finish making himself presentable for the day.

=)=)=)

Like the day before, Adam walked into the dining room with Cringer expecting to find Teela already seated at the table with his parents and Man-at-Arms. She was missing. Immediately, he wondered if she was in pain again and that's why she hadn't shown. He felt an almost uncontrollable desire to go to her, but he couldn't. His parents had looked up at him and how could he explain that he had shown up for breakfast but had now changed his mind.

Sighing, he walked to his seat and sat down. Before greeting anyone, he immediately looked at Man-at-Arms and asked abruptly, "Where's Teela?"

Duncan looked at the prince as if he were surprised by the greeting, or the lack thereof, and Adam supposed his question did border on rudeness, but he was concerned. Even though they didn't know what was happening between Teela and himself, they surely couldn't fault him for being worried and curious. They were best friends, after all. Duncan glanced to the king and queen briefly as they raised their brows and then turned to study Adam. "She decided to skip breakfast this morning," he answered; "She wanted to get an early start preparing for the Guard's training—she wanted to try a new routine."

Adam nodded and looked down at his plate sadly. While Man-at-Arms' words could very well be true, he felt an anxiety he had never felt before rising. Maybe Teela didn't show up because she wanted to avoid him, so she thought of a plausible excuse to skip breakfast. It was a good one…and so Teela. When she was nervous, upset, or wanted to avoid something, she always hid behind her duties as Captain of the Guard. Maybe she regretted what had happened yesterday after she had slept on it. Maybe she decided she didn't want to court a Crown Prince. After all, that would change her life significantly. Maybe she was even a little fearful of his reactions to her in the very near future—maybe she was worried that he would push their intimacy further than they already had when she could physically take it further. Surely, she knew he wouldn't do that! Well, not without a sign that she wanted to.

Taking another deep breath, he tried to calm himself. He was working himself into a tizzy with no real cause. Man-at-Arms' words might be true. Maybe Teela did want to get a head start on the day. It wasn't unheard of.

Adam was brought out of his thoughts by someone touching his hand. He looked up and was surprised to see that his mother was looking at him sympathetically. "Adam, is something wrong?" she asked.

"No!" he said a little too quickly and spiritedly. He then calmed himself again and stated more evenly, "I was just thinking…"

The king grabbed his attention by leaning forward a little to seemingly study him more closely. "Yes, you've been doing that a lot recently."

Adam fought the desire to squirm. He really didn't need his parents' scrutiny right now. So, he simply nodded, trying to downplay his father's remark. He wanted to give the impression that their observations were inconsequential to him. After all, if he was unconcerned with their attention, it would tell them there was nothing to be concerned about. He hoped he could pull it off.

It must have worked with his father, because he quickly shifted his attention to Duncan and started to discuss what was to be done that day, but his mother continued to look at him as the kitchen staff came out to serve their food. After a few more moments of her staring at him and him trying not to react, she stood and announced, "Adam, I need to speak with you in the hall privately. Come with me."

There was no question or request in her tone. It was a command and he had to obey—there was no way to avoid it. "Yes, Mother," he muttered as he stood. He followed her from the room, but instead of immediately addressing whatever she had to say, she led him to the nearby library. They went into one of the many private rooms there and she shut the door.

"Okay," she said, turning around to face him, "what's going on?"

He simply stared at her for a few moments as he tried to think of something to say. When his mind didn't supply an answer, he shrugged and stated, "I don't know what you mean."

The queen glowered at him. "Adam, I do not like you lying to me. Either you tell me what's going on between you and Teela or I'll go to her to find out."

Instantly, he gasped, showing surprise at her threat and that she had figured out that it had something to do with Teela. "Please don't do that!" he exclaimed in a rush; "I hardly know how she would react!"

"Then, tell me. I noticed yesterday that there was something different between the two of you, and with your daydreaming all day long, it wasn't hard to make an educated guess. Come on, I already know. Just spit it out."

Swallowing roughly and closing his eyes, he admitted softly, "Teela and I expressed our feelings for one another recently."

After a long silence had developed, he opened his eyes. His mother simply stared at him but when their eyes locked, she asked, "How far have you gone to express those feelings?"

Widening his eyes, he almost shouted, "Not far at all! We've kissed and…everything was completely innocent!"

Marlena nodded and grabbed his hand as he started to blush. "Sorry, but I had to ask. You are Eternia's prince, so there must be precautions if your relationship is to be physical."

Adam gawked at her for a moment. "I don't want to discuss this, Mom!" he exclaimed, turning even redder.

"Would you rather discuss this with your father?"

"NO!"

The queen took a seat at the table and gestured for him to join her. When he did, she stated calmly, "I know you don't want to talk to your mother about this, but Duncan is obviously out of the question since this concerns his daughter. That would be awkward. Now, while you know that Randor and I expect you to abstain from certain acts, I'm not naïve enough to believe that you disregarding our expectations is beyond the realm of possibility. That's why I need to know if you plan on going further with Teela."

He immediately dropped his head to the table, hid it in his arms, and groaned. Feeling completely embarrassed and mortified, he mumbled, "I didn't have any plans to…sully her name or mine. Besides, I don't think she would want to go _that_ far anyway."

He lifted his head and rubbed his face before looking at her.

She smiled comfortingly as she rested a hand on his forearm and said, "That's good to know…but what if she were willing?"

Adam looked around the room frantically. "I don't know!" he finally exclaimed, honestly. He knew it was pointless to lie since she'd know.

She nodded and then stated, "Well then, I guess we need to take a trip to the Royal Physician to make sure you're prepared just in case."

"Mother!" exclaimed Adam; "I can do that on my own if we decide to take things that far. I really don't want you getting involved in this! That would be humiliating and…"

"Adam, trust me, I do realize how awkward this is. On Earth, you and I wouldn't be having this conversation at all. The things I taught you in your youth would have sufficed and you would have been allowed to make your own decisions…but on Eternia, you are a prince and heir to the throne. We cannot afford for you to make mistakes in these regards. You would be forced to marry Teela if she became pregnant and if she didn't want to marry you, it would definitely tarnish her reputation. She would be driven from Eternos."

He sighed and replied, "If we decide to go that far, I promise I will see the physician immediately."

Marlena stared at him for a few moments and then relented. "I expect you to keep your promise."

"I will."

As Adam started to stand to leave the room as quickly as possible, she grabbed his hand and said, "One more thing: are you and Teela officially courting now?"

He dropped back into his seat. This was one thing he didn't mind sharing now that his mother knew what was going on. He shrugged and whispered, "I don't know. We haven't really discussed it."

"And, that's why you were upset earlier?"

He met her gaze and answered, "I'm not upset. It's just that…I know Teela has feelings for me, but I don't know if she wants everyone else to know. I'm worried that she has changed her mind about us and that's why she didn't show up to breakfast this morning. What you said earlier was right: I am the prince and that has to be daunting for someone who likes their privacy as much as Teela does. My life is in the public eye in a way that hers isn't."

Marlena squeezed his hand comfortingly, "Well, you must discuss this with her. There is no way to keep the relationship a secret. Duncan, Randor, and I knew something was up yesterday almost immediately, and it won't be long before everyone notices."

Adam immediately stood. "Man-at-Arms and Father know?"

"They had their suspicions. We've discussed it…they know what I'm talking to you about right now."

He groaned and exclaimed, "Please tell Man-at-Arms not to confront Teela until I talk to her! I don't want her to feel cornered, because I'm the only one with something to lose here! And, I don't want to lose her!"

Marlena stared at him for a long moment before whispering, "You're in love with her already, aren't you?"

Turning his back to her, he admitted, "Since we were kids."

"I always thought so."

He turned back around and rushed to her side. He knelt on the floor and begged, "Please tell me that you'll stop Duncan and Father from questioning her! Let me handle this in my own way!"

Marlena cupped his cheek and with a smile, she stated, "Of course, son."

=)=)=)

Adam leaned against a tree in the courtyard as he watched Teela finish with her regiment of troops. He knew she had seen him earlier when he had first shown up. While she had been showing them a move, she had faltered a little before regaining her momentum and enthusiasm. At that moment, a bubble of dismay had lodged itself in his throat—he wondered if her actions foreshadowed what was to come. He knew he was going to blindside her with their discussion…but it had to be done. He couldn't let Duncan address her before he did.

When Teela dismissed everyone, he felt a little relief when she started walking towards him. "Hey, you could have joined us!" she exclaimed happily.

He immediately smiled and stated, "No, I think I'll save my energy for my combat lesson."

As soon as Teela stood in front of him, she grinned and asked, "Do you want to help me take my equipment back to the storage room?"

"Of course," he answered, relieved that she wasn't worried or hesitant. Maybe she hadn't been avoiding him. Maybe she really had wanted to get a head start on the guards' training.

He followed her to her pile of weapons and grabbed the things she handed to him: her shield and the practice-bot that she sometimes trained with. She carried her sword and bow. After everything was in hand, they headed for the storage room.

Once they were in there, they placed everything in its appropriate spot without talking. When they were finished, they turned toward one another simultaneously.

"Hey," he said abruptly and immediately reddened. "_Well, that was smooth,_" he thought sarcastically, berating himself for not thinking of something better after they had already greeted one another.

Teela immediately laughed. It seemed like she could see the embarrassment radiating from him. She walked to him slowly and replied, "Hey." When they finally stood face-to-face, she simply stared at him as he stared at her. The smile that had covered her face slowly disintegrated, but before he could worry about the cause, she slipped one hand behind his neck and the other on his chest before pulling him to her for a kiss.

Their lips met with no hesitancy, and Adam quickly slipped his arms around her and held her to him in a strong embrace. They shared sweet, chaste kisses and some that made his toes curl, especially the one when she had taken the initiative to run her tongue across his bottom lip. When he had opened his mouth a little in response, she bit it softly. At that moment, he couldn't control himself: he pushed her to the wall and held her there firmly as they continued to kiss.

That was how they found themselves when they pulled apart their lips to breathe.

"Wow!" he said as he tugged her away from the wall and into a loving embrace.

"Yeah, wow," she agreed as she also slipped her arms around him.

Adam held her for several moments longer before reluctantly pulling away. When her questioning eyes met his, he took her hand in his and whispered, "I have to talk to you, Teela."

She nodded in agreement and allowed him to lead her from the room to a nearby bench. He sat down, so she sat beside him. Gathering as much courage as he could, he looked into her eyes and breathed deeply. Before he could utter a single word, she whispered with a smile, "Just say it."

He nodded and asked, "Teela, do you…" His voice broke. He coughed a little and started over. "As you know I'm a prince…"

Teela interrupted him by chuckling. "That's kind of hard to miss considering I've known you my entire life."

He smiled briefly before trying again. "With my being a prince, there come certain obligations and expectations. People are always aware of what is going on in my life. I'm in the public eye, as well as under the constant watchful eye of my parents. Now, given that…Teela, what I need to know is if you're okay with people knowing about us."

He sighed as Teela's smile faded and she stared at him fearfully. "This isn't something we can hide forever. If we want to be together, they're going find out eventually."

Teela let out a shaky breath and stood. She walked away and stated, "I'm quite aware that everyone would find out eventually if we decide to be together."

Her words were a blow to his gut. If they decided to be together?

Teela must have read his expression accurately, because she quickly walked back to him and brushed his cheek with her fingers softly. "I do want to be with you, Adam, but at the same time, I don't want everyone knowing about this just yet. I want to enjoy simply being with you before we have to follow the proper protocol of courting." She sighed and then added, "Besides, I know what will happen once the king learns of our relationship. He's not going to let me be your bodyguard anymore, and he's certainly not going to let me be the Captain of the Guard if something more should develop between us. I don't want to face that yet."

Adam swallowed roughly and whispered, "The king already knows."

At Teela's astonished look, he rushed to assure her. "I didn't tell him. Mother and he had already figured it out. They noticed a difference in us yesterday…"

"Have they told my father of their suspicions?"

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "He already had his suspicions, as well. Mother and I spoke on the subject this morning. He hasn't spoken to me on the matter, and Mother assures me that he won't address it with you for now. Of course, he will eventually."

Teela pulled her hand away from his and turned her back on him.

"Teela?" he questioned fearfully.

She turned back around, and he was shocked to see tears gathering in her eyes.

"Oh, no! Teela!" he shouted, as he stood and went to her. He pulled her into his arms. After holding her for several moments, he pulled away and rubbed both of her arms soothingly. He didn't want to say his next words, but her feelings were more important to him than his own right now. Putting his finger under her chin to get her to look up at him, he whispered, "If you want to end this now so you don't have to deal with courting a Crown Prince, I understand. I know being with me would change so much in your life…things that you might not want to give up."

He then paused. He waited for her to say something, but when she didn't, he backed up, nodded sadly, and then walked away.

=)=)=)

Adam had avoided everything and everyone for the rest of the day. He had pleaded other obligations when his mother, Duncan, or anyone else had wanted to speak with him. Despite the fact that he had been sure Teela wouldn't want to seek him out, he had decided to hide from the world for just a little while longer. He wanted the time to lick his wounds and heal after all his hopes had been shattered.

He lay in bed beside Cringer and buried his face in his fur.

"I was so foolish," he mumbled to his pet. "I should have known it could never be." He sniffled as he pulled away from the tiger and continued, "Why did our parents have to notice so soon? If I only had more time with her, this might not have happened. She might have been willing to accept all my baggage and the probable changes to her life if she had been given the opportunity to fall in love with me."

He shook his head as a few tears slipped down his cheeks. He looked to the wall briefly and saw the chronometer. He petted Cringer softly and whispered, "It's time for dinner. You can go. I won't be attending tonight."

"A-Adam," said Cringer, worriedly, "I'm staying. I don't like you being so depressed alone."

He smiled a little and replied, "I'm okay, old buddy. You can go. I'll be here when you get back."

"Are you sure?"

At his nod, Cringer slowly jumped from the bed and made his way out of the room but gave him a long comforting yet sympathetic look before he shut the door by pulling it shut with his teeth.

Once Adam was alone, he forced himself to go to sleep. He was tired of thinking about what might have been.

=)=)=)

He wasn't sure what time it was, but the room was completely enveloped in darkness and he could barely see a thing. He wasn't sure what had woken him up, but a slight movement on his bed made him jump a little.

"Cringer?" he questioned.

When his feline friend didn't respond, he reached his hand out to turn on his bedside lamp but was suddenly stopped by someone grabbing his arm and pinning him down on the bed. "What?" he exclaimed and afterward immediately began to pry the person off of him…

…until he heard her voice. "Adam! Adam! It's me!"

"Teela?"

He felt her shift and suddenly light filled the room as she touched his lamp. Adam looked up at Teela and immediately gasped. Here was Teela in the same nightgown he had seen her in the first time they had kissed. And, at that moment, he couldn't help but notice how different this occasion was from that one: Teela was on top of him, straddling his waist.

"What's going on?" he questioned.

Teela immediately placed a finger on his lips and said, "I didn't see you all day after we talked. I kept expecting you to show up, but you never did…so I decided I'd confront you in the only place where I knew you would be at a certain time."

He lay deathly still and turned only his head to look away from her. "Why do you want to confront me? I haven't done anything."

"You haven't done anything?" she questioned. "You ran off and never showed back up! Instead, you hid all day long."

He finally looked back at her and snapped, "Why does that matter? Teela, I just…need some time. Look, I don't blame you for not wanting to be with me. I get that being with me would change your life forever and you don't want to deal with that. I understand—I really do."

Teela placed her hands on his shoulders, bent over, and pushed him into the bed roughly. "Evidently, you don't know a thing," she stated forcefully.

"What?"

She let go of him and frowned. "Adam, I'm sorry that I didn't have the reaction that you wanted this morning, but this is all so new and I needed time to process everything." She shook her head and whispered, "I still want to be with you, Adam. Please don't shut me out and end things between us. I…want to explore our relationship further. I just want a little time to adjust before we go public. Is that asking too much?"

Adam stared into her eyes for a few moments before lifting his hand to her face and rubbing her cheekbone softly with his thumb. "No, it isn't," he answered.

Suddenly, she smiled at him, and Adam let out a sigh of relief. He had never felt so thankful in his entire life. He brought both hands to his face and rubbed it slowly before looking at her again to make sure she was real and this was really happening.

Seemingly knowing what he was thinking, she bent down low to his ear and whispered, "Yes, I'm really here and this is happening." She kissed his ear with a brush of her lips and then followed an imaginary line from his ear to his lips. And, when they finally kissed, it felt like an explosion had gone off. Instantly, they pulled at one another, trying desperately to get closer. Soon, the room was filled with sounds of rough breathing as they seemingly tried to devour the other.

Eventually, Teela pulled back and stared at him for a moment before bringing a finger to his lips. Adam kissed it softly and she smiled. Then, she ran the finger from his lips down his neck to his chest. She met his questioning gaze and said, "You've had your fun exploring me. Can you return the favor and let me explore you?"

Adam widened his eyes and gasped, "Ancients, yes!"

Slowly, Teela pulled at his nightshirt and he simply lifted his arms to aid her efforts. When the article of clothing was off, she immediately flung it across the room. She then stared at his chest with a look that seemed to be amazement.

He looked down at himself and wondered what had caused such a response. "Nothing special, huh?" he guessed.

She met his gaze and asked, "What?" She shook her head and said, "Adam, I could tell you were muscular under your shirt, but I had no idea your masculine beauty could rival He-Man's."

He immediately blushed from the roots of his hair to his toes and Teela grinned. "There's no reason to blush, Adam…" she whispered, "…yet."

Gone was the Teela of yesterday. She seemed very confident and sure of herself as she bent over and kissed his neck. She then ran her tongue across his skin before scrapping her teeth against him lightly.

At his moan, he felt her smile against him and she kissed the hollow of his throat.

"Teela," he gasped, suddenly gripping her with both hands at her waist. He hardly knew if her name had been a question or a moan.

Teela treated it as the latter. She continued to move down his body until she reached his chest. She then moved over his left pectoral muscle to kiss it while she ran her fingernails slowly over the other.

Feeling slightly out of control and wanting to obtain it in this moment, Adam immediately sat up with her in his lap, and they found themselves in a position that they knew could potentially overwhelm them both: Teela still straddled his body, so when he sat up, he inadvertently moved her to a place that he hadn't initially intended to…

The gasp and look on each other's faces told the other that despite their actions recently, neither had planned this. They stared at each other momentarily but not uttering a word.

Suddenly, Teela let herself fall and sit on him firmly. They brushed against each other in a new way and they closed their eyes at the contact.

"Teela," he whispered again.

She opened her eyes and brought her lips to his as they started to pull at one another and move again. Soon, moans and sounds of kissing filled the room, but eventually Teela laid a hand across his cheek and stilled his movements. "It's no longer that time, you know," she whispered softly…softer than he had ever heard her speak before.

Adam widened his eyes and wondered if she was telling him this because she wanted to go further.

=)=)=)

_I know… I'm evil, evil, evil. LOL Hope you enjoyed anyway. And, just so you know, I'm undecided if I'm going to move this to the "M" rating like some requested despite my ending here, LOL. (Obviously that depends on the content.) If this story suddenly disappears from the webpage, though, obviously I did change the rating, so you will have look for it there in your filter. *shrugs*_


	4. Chapter 4

_This website is being weird and not sending its notifications out, so I just wanted to let you know if you notice this story that there is a new chapter of "Noticing Adam" posted, as well. I don't want anyone to miss it. In any case, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who is still interested in this particular story, especially those who take the time to comment. You are the ones who are turning this story into what it is since I hadn't initially planned to take it even this far. Your comments encourage me to keep going, so I hope you enjoy this chapter, as well._

Teela's Visitor Chapter 4

He was caught somewhere in between the state of euphoria and the state of panic. He didn't know what to do or say. Teela was watching him intently for some kind of response, so he did the first thing that came to mind. It was the most honest reaction to her words anyway. He leaned forward and caught her lips again for another kiss that left them breathless.

There was no doubt that he wanted her, and he knew she knew that. They could both feel the evidence…but were they ready for that step?

He brought a hand up to Teela's face and cupped her cheek. He stared at her intently and finally asked, "Is there a reason you told me that? Do you want to…" His voice broke and he cleared his throat a little.

She immediately blushed and exclaimed "Oh!" She looked down and then back up again slowly, barely making eye contact. "No…I mean, yes, I want…but not…" She suddenly laughed and shook her head. She brought a hand up to her face, took Adam's hand in hers, and said, "I told you so you wouldn't have to worry about the position we're in or worry about my being in pain." She finally met his gaze head on. "I…I'm not ready for things to go _that far_ yet. I just…" She drifted off.

Adam chuckled a little and whispered, "Good."

"Good?" She looked a little hurt.

He widened his eyes as he realized what implications could be made from that response. "No!" he exclaimed hurriedly; "I want you. You know I do." He raised his hips a little to remind her of where she was sitting and what state he was in.

She gasped.

"I just…I got a little nervous for a second there," he continued, smiling at her response. "I…I'm not ready for that step either. For one thing, I don't have any protection, and I doubt you take any contraceptives."

She shook her head. "No, I don't."

They both looked at each other with very pronounced blushes covering their cheeks.

Teela then leaned forward a little and met his lips again in a soft kiss. "So, you ran out?" she whispered questioningly as she pulled away.

It took a second for him to realize what she was talking about. Knowing his skin got even darker, he looked away and stuttered, "Uh, no…uh, I don't…I never—I haven't had any need for anything. I…"

She raised her brow in a look of disbelief and questioned, "You haven't…you know?" She gestured back and forth with her hand between their bodies.

He knew what she was asking. He met her eyes even though he was embarrassed and whispered, "No, I haven't. I…I'm a prince, you know. I can't produce heirs before I'm married."

"Protection stops that most of the time," she whispered. "I find it difficult to believe women haven't thrown themselves at you."

He smiled softly and replied, "Oh, they have. I just…I didn't want any of them like I want you."

Now Teela's blush grew darker and she dropped her gaze from his.

"Have you?" he questioned, curious as to what her answer would be.

"No," she answered immediately. After a moment, she added, "What I've done with you is the furthest I've ever gone…"

Adam smiled and admitted, "Me, too."

They both stared at one another again and after a moment, their lips met for another kiss. Once again, they began to move against one another and moan every so often when they brushed against each other in just the right way. Eventually, though, Teela pulled away and whispered, "I need to get back to my room before we get caught."

He wanted to ask her to stay. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he knew she was right. The longer she stayed, the more likely they would get caught. Besides, he knew they'd end up doing what they agreed they weren't ready for if she stayed. His body was ready, achingly so, so he knew it might talk him into doing something his head clearly knew should be off the table.

As soon as Teela moved off of him, he watched as she raked her eyes down his body and settled on his pajama bottoms. He looked down at the highly noticeable lump that undoubtedly caught her attention. He looked at her nervously and said, "I'm sorry. I can't help it."

"I know," she whispered as she leaned down and met his lips again in yet another kiss. She then admitted, "I can't get enough of you, so I'm glad to know the feeling's mutual."

"Oh, it is," he agreed. He wrapped his arms around her again and kissed her deeply, massaging her lips with his tongue this time before sucking on them gently.

Teela panted as she pulled away and said abruptly, "I have to go." She nearly flew from the bed and he understood why: she was having just as much trouble as he was. She wanted him. He smiled at the thought and watched her as she left the room. They both gave each other one last longing look before the shutting door separated them.

=)=)=)

The next morning Adam got up early. Cringer was nowhere to be found—he had probably gone out during the night to ramble as cats loved to do. Usually, he would have worried until he saw his companion again, despite knowing Cringer never intentionally looked for trouble, but this morning he had too many important things on his mind.

One that kept repeating in his mind was if he should take a trip to see his healer. Even though Teela and he had agreed they weren't ready to… Eventually they would be if everything went how he wanted it to, and the Ancients knew that they were headed in that direction last night. He didn't want to be unprepared should she change her mind. He had promised his mother, for one thing. For another, he doubted seriously that Teela would want to chance getting pregnant. He wasn't ready for that, either.

He sighed, knowing that the easiest solution was to simply abstain. That's what they both wanted after all, and the truth was he was nervous about the prospect of going that far anyway. Yes, he was interested, but he also had little idea of what to do. Sure, he knew the basics and he was sure instincts would take over, but it was still a little daunting nonetheless.

He shook his head as he realized most guys his age had already taken that big step with someone and they'd probably laugh at him if they knew how nervous he was or that he hadn't done it with anyone yet. But tradition for princes was to abstain until they were married. Of course, he knew that didn't mean they actually held to the tradition—he knew a lot didn't.

He brought a hand to his eyes, wiped at them slowly as he went into the hallway, and started to make his way to the dining room.

"Had a rough night?" a voice asked suddenly.

Adam yelped in response. He hadn't realized someone was in the hall with him and he had recognized the voice instantly. With his current thoughts roaming through his mind, _he_ was the absolute last person he wanted to see right now. The prince looked at Duncan as the elder walked to his side and waited for an answer.

"No," he whispered, "I was just thinking. I mean, I didn't get as much sleep as I usually do, but it's not a big deal."

Duncan nodded and asked, "Thinking about Teela?"

He cringed. He really didn't want to talk about this with Duncan right now. His skin blazed brightly as he mumbled, "I can't talk about this with you, Man-at-Arms."

He started to walk away but stopped when his mentor grabbed his arm and said, "Hey."

He glanced at Duncan briefly and then looked away. He felt himself get even hotter from embarrassment, but he looked back at him anyway when he heard his friend sigh.

"Adam, you're like a son to me," he whispered; "The truth is I've always hoped you'd find one another someday."

He widened his eyes. "You have?"

Man-at-Arms nodded. "Of course, I can think of no one more worthy of my daughter. I know you'd take care of her no matter what, and that's a comforting thought as I get older. Not to mention, I know if her destiny should be the same as the Sorceress', you would be the one person to understand and not turn from her."

He paused. He hadn't even thought of that aspect of things. It was possible Teela would one day be the Sorceress of Grayskull. How would that work out? "_How can she be both the Sorceress of Grayskull and the Queen of Eternia_?" he asked himself. He brought a hand to his face to cover it slightly. Didn't that pretty much tell him what was to become of their relationship? He knew he couldn't stop fate, just like Hordak hadn't been able to stop Adora's, and if Teela's fate was to be the future Sorceress, that meant their relationship had been doomed before it had even started.

Adam frowned and noticed that Duncan, who also frowned, was looking off into the distance. Suddenly, his mentor snapped out of it and said, "The Sorceress wants to see both of us. She wants to talk to us about this."

He immediately cringed and shook his head. He took a step back and said hesitantly, "I…don't want to talk to her, yet." He glanced down the hall frantically; he would do anything to not hear the Sorceress tell him that a future with Teela was impossible. To stop the inevitable discussion, he continued hurriedly, "Everyone is jumping the gun here: Teela and I aren't engaged. We haven't even announced publicly that we're courting. I don't even know if Teela will ever want to do that…" He shook his head again. "It's not the right time to talk about any of this!"

He walked away so quickly that he was almost running, and Man-at-Arms called out for him to no avail. He was gone in an instant.

=)=)=)

This time Adam was the one to skip breakfast and he was starving since he had also skipped dinner the day before. It's just that he didn't want to give Duncan the opportunity to drag him to Castle Grayskull. So, he took a page from cowardly Prince Adam's playbook and ran and hid from the problem. He decided he could actually live up to that reputation just once. He knew it wasn't the best or smartest idea ever, but he didn't want to face the truth just yet. He wanted to be happy for just a little while before his obligations to Castle Grayskull and Eternia once again overwhelmed his life and arguably ruined it.

He closed his eyes as he felt for what felt like the millionth time the Sorceress reaching out to him. He wasn't sure how he was doing it, but he was able to block her when he tried. He had discovered this earlier when she had tried to speak with him after he had walked away from Man-at-Arms. She had begun by stating that she had to talk to him about Teela and as soon as he had thought the words, "_I don't want to hear this right now_," the Sorceress had grown quiet. At first he had thought she had respected his wishes, but a few minutes later, the Sorceress had sprung back into his mind and asked him why he was blocking her. After that, he purposely set out to do it.

He knew he was being selfish and probably very immature, but his moments with Teela had been some of the happiest that he had ever had in his entire life, and he didn't want to taint those memories right now. He didn't want to put them on the shelf labeled "painful" in his mind and try to forget about them. The notion seemed impossible and his heart cried out for a way to avoid it all together.

Not to mention, he knew when the Sorceress told him that all he could ever be was Teela's champion once she took her place as the Sorceress of Grayskull, she would expect him to call things off with her daughter. In his mind, he saw Teela's sad green eyes as he told her that he had changed his mind and that he didn't want to be with her. He wouldn't be able to tell her why just yet, so he knew his words would hurt her severely. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't. So, he was going to be selfish and immature for as long as possible. He knew it was a dangerous game considering he still had to protect Castle Grayskull and he was blocking the Sorceress' attempts to reach him, but he was certain she would contact Man-at-Arms if Skeletor attacked.

He brought his hands up to his face and covered them as he sat beneath a tree in the courtyard. He was on the opposite side of the tree from the palace, so if Duncan or anyone else stepped outside, they wouldn't see him. He hoped they would stay inside and look for him there all day.

As he wiped a tear from his eye, he heard the one person that could possibly make him forget everything for a while, and paradoxically, he felt relief even though his heart clinched at the sound of her voice. "There you are!" cried Teela as she stepped around the tree and stood beside him. "Everyone has been looking everywhere for you!"

He kept his face down and asked, "How did you find me?"

"This is your favorite tree to sleep under sometimes. I decided to check it out even though I didn't see you initially." She sat down beside him and noticed that he abruptly looked in the opposite direction. His hair was blocking any view of his face. She reached out and rubbed his arm tenderly. "What's wrong?"

He simply shook his head.

"Come on, Adam," she whispered. "I know something is bothering you."

Suddenly, his stomach growled loudly.

She pulled on his arm and continued, "And, you're clearly hungry. You skipped dinner and now you've skipped breakfast. You must be avoiding something and I'm starting to think it's me."

He immediately whipped his head around to look at her and she gasped at the sight of his tear-bright eyes and the red complexion of his face. "It's not you," he replied softly. "Well, not directly."

"What is it, then?"

He knew he couldn't include the Sorceress in their discussion. Teela didn't know she was her mother after all, and she didn't know about her future as the Sorceress of Grayskull. "I don't think your…parent wants us to be together," he said finally, deciding to be vague. She would assume he was talking about Man-at-Arms.

"What?" she cried.

He nodded and continued, "I don't think anyone wants us to be together."

She immediately furrowed her brow and snapped, "And, you're just going to accept that?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm not. Why do you think I'm out here? I don't want to hear what they have to say! I don't want to give them the opportunity to take you away from me!"

Her expression softened and she brought a hand up to his face to cup his cheek. "No one is going to take me from you," she whispered; "We are the ones who will decide if we'll be together or not. We won't let anyone else sway our decisions. I promise you that." She leaned forward and they kissed briefly.

When she pulled back, her brow furrowed once more and she spat, "And, I'm going to go tell my father exactly that!" She stood and started to walk away as if she were a woman on a mission.

"TEELA!" called Adam, because he knew she was going to do exactly what she said. "Please, don't!" He quickly got up and began to follow her but abruptly stopped when he heard the cries of a falcon. He looked up and sure enough he saw Zoar. He then quickly turned in the opposite direction to get away from the Sorceress and immediately stopped again. Man-at-Arms had slipped around the corner as soon as Teela had made her way inside the palace. Duncan began to walk towards him determinedly. He looked back in the opposite direction and saw Zoar turn into the Sorceress. She looked slightly annoyed.

"_Oh, Ancients_!" he thought to himself as he looked ahead of him and stared at the entrance Teela had just gone through. He took a step in that direction but stopped cold when a wall suddenly appeared before him and the Sorceress said determinedly, "I need to speak with you, Adam."

=)=)=)

_Not quite as lovey-dovey as the others, but I like it, LOL. Oh, just to clarify since someone brought it up in comments, in my stories whenever Zoar transforms into the Sorceress outside the castle walls, let's assume she has the Crystal of Allenar on her. I naturally assume that when I've seen Zoar transform in episodes like "Return of Evil" and many more Thanks!_


	5. Chapter 5

Teela's Visitor Chapter 5

He felt cornered, like a trapped rat. He pressed his back against the wall the Sorceress had put there and had the irrational desire to try to climb up it. At that point, it seemed like that impossible feat was the only means to escape without getting physical. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and breathed deeply to calm himself. When he reopened his eyes, Man-at-Arms was on one side of him and the Sorceress was on the other.

Adam met the Sorceress' intense stare as she stated, "Avoiding a problem is never the way to handle anything, Adam. You know that."

He looked down at the ground and immediately felt shame. He knew he should have faced his fears and gone to see what the Sorceress had to say as soon as she had summoned him, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to do it. He didn't want to hear that because he was He-Man all he could ever be with Teela was a friend. He didn't want to know that He-Man would take even more away from Prince Adam. The notion had been unbearable, so he had decided he'd do anything he could to avoid it.

He should have known it wouldn't work. He supposed he had known, but he wished the avoidance hadn't ended so soon or so abruptly. He would have liked a couple of hours of foolishly believing he could avoid the future forever.

The Sorceress reached out a hand, touched his arm, and said sympathetically, "No one can hide from the future. It eventually comes, one way or another. The only thing we can do to influence the future and change it in a way that will fit our liking is to make wise decisions. Deciding to simply avoid those decisions won't stop anything. In fact, it might make it worse."

Grimacing at the fact that the Sorceress was clearly reading his thoughts right now, he tightly locked down his emotions and pushed her presence, which he could distinctly feel now, from his mind.

The Sorceress frowned at his actions and said, "Are you still going to fight me, Prince Adam, or are you going to hear what I have to say?"

He looked down again and replied, "I suppose I don't have a choice."

At that moment, Man-at-Arms spoke up. "You always have a choice, son. You can do things the easy way or the hard way. That is your choice, but you must hear what the Sorceress has to say. When has she ever led you wrong?"

He looked up at his mentor. "Do you know what she has to say?"

Duncan shook his head. "No, I don't, but I do know that the Sorceress has your best interest at heart, so she deserves to be heard."

Adam couldn't help but think thoughts which made him profoundly glad that he had blocked the Sorceress from his mind: _"No, the Sorceress has Eternia's best interest at heart, not Adam's_." His shoulders immediately slumped as he glanced at the woman in question. "What do you want me to know?" he asked finally.

"This isn't really the appropriate place to have this discussion. I want to talk to you at Castle Grayskull. Do you promise to accompany Duncan if we postpone this until we meet there?"

Knowing he was going to have to face this sooner or later, he mumbled, "I promise."

The Sorceress squeezed his arm one more time and whispered, "Thank you. And, stop worrying so much. This will only be a discussion. No demands or decrees will be given, I promise you."

At that, Adam felt a glimmer of hope, but it quickly diminished after realizing that demands might not be necessary after she tells him whatever she has to say. Maybe it would be information that would provide him with no other choice but to avoid having a relationship with Teela. He sighed and tried to think optimistically, but it was hard.

=)=)=)

"I've never known you to run from anything."

Adam didn't look at Man-at-Arms as they rode in a Windraider to Castle Grayskull. His mentor's words stung, but he knew he had to explain himself. Duncan was absolutely right: he had never run from anything…well, aside from running when he had to turn into He-Man, but that was different. "I know," he murmured miserably; "I just felt so helpless when the Sorceress said she needed to talk to me about Teela. I know Teela has a destiny, just like I did, and I know what Teela'Na gave up to be the Sorceress of Grayskull, so it isn't hard to put two and two together to realize what she has to say."

Duncan reached out, squeezed his hand comfortingly, and replied, "Look, son, you don't know that. There are a lot of factors that you're ignoring in light of you being so afraid of what the future might hold."

"Like what?"

"Well, for starters, Teela has to accept that destiny. The Sorceress told me she told you about her past. Then, you must know that Teela'Na was given the choice by Kuduk Ungol to accept the responsibility and powers of Grayskull."

He shook his head and grimaced. "Duncan, Teela'Na was destined to accept those powers, just as I was destined to accept the powers of He-Man. And, besides, I know Teela well, as do you. If she is given the choice to accept the Powers of Grayskull to defeat Skeletor, she will do it. It won't matter the sacrifice to herself or anyone else. Duty is something she takes very seriously and she knows she'll be able to do more as the Sorceress of Grayskull than the Captain of the Guard. She'll surely do more good as the Sorceress than she would Queen of Eternia."

Man-at-Arms sighed. "So, you believe we don't have free will? You believe we simply do whatever has been written somewhere?"

He paused. After several moments of contemplation, he answered, "No, I believe we have free will, but I believe our choices are already known. So, when the Sorceress sees the future, she sees the choices we are destined to make by our own free will, if that makes sense. So, it means Teela will choose to be the Sorceress of Grayskull. That pretty much seals the fate of our relationship. Teela can't be Queen of Eternia and the Sorceress of Grayskull, too."

"And, why can't she?" asked Duncan firmly.

Adam was surprised at Duncan's tone—he sounded slightly annoyed and demanding. "Well, she…" the prince stuttered, "…she won't be able to leave Castle Grayskull. It would leave the castle defenseless, and she'd be weakened. She'd have to use the Crystal of Allenar to be in her human form and even that doesn't last long. Being the Sorceress prevents her from having…" He trailed off.

After a lengthy pause, Duncan questioned, "Prevents her from having what? Love? A life? Adam, the Sorceress had a husband. He died in battle, fighting along side me. He loved Teela'Na and their life together. You don't actually believe the Sorceress conjured Teela's existence, do you?"

"No, I don't! I'm not saying at all that being the Sorceress of Grayskull prevents that person from loving someone or having the ability to marry. What I'm saying is that it prevents that person from having a normal life, and that, in and of itself, is an obstacle to love, raising children, and…ruling a planet along side a king."

Silence enveloped the Windraider as they both contemplated Adam's words and Duncan lowered the craft to the ground. They had arrived.

"Let's just see what the Sorceress has to say before we start worrying too heavily about these things, Adam," he suggested after they exited the vehicle and began walking to the drawbridge.

=)=)=)

Adam looked up at the Sorceress and tried to exude an air of confidence and stability, but he had a feeling he failed miserably at the attempt. The Sorceress smiled almost sadly as she walked down the throne steps to stand before him. "Why don't we sit down?" she proposed as she gestured towards a nearby doorway. They all walked into the other room where there was a large table and many chairs around it.

Everyone took a seat and stared at one another briefly. Adam sat on the right side of the table and the Sorceress sat on the left directly in front him. Man-at-Arms took the seat beside Adam, and Adam believed he did it to show his moral support. This was confirmed when Duncan rubbed his back several times reassuringly.

"I know your fears," the Sorceress stated abruptly. "I heard your discussion with Man-at-Arms on the way here."

Adam groaned and mumbled, "I wish you wouldn't pry into my private thoughts and discussions like that."

"You never cared before," she countered carefully. "You know I've watched you and your thoughts since you were born. I have to. It's my job to guide you, to know what is troubling you, to…"

He interrupted her. "Well, I care when it comes to Teela!" he snapped. Then, he immediately closed his eyes and said softly, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude or show any hostility. I'm really not angry with you. I'm just upset by the situation. I just wish I didn't have to deal with this."

The Sorceress nodded and said, "I do understand that, and I don't blame you. Despite that, it is something we must deal with anyway." When Adam nodded, she continued, "I'm just going to be upfront and let you know we're going to have two discussions today: the first one, I will discuss it as the Sorceress of Grayskull and the second, I will do it as Teela's mother."

Adam widened his eyes. "_A double whammy_!" he thought immediately as he realized the Sorceress had probably seen his actions and thoughts over the last couple of days. "_She knows what I thought about doing with her daughter! She knows what we've already done! She knows more than my mother and Man-at-Arms_!" With a cringe, he mumbled, "Oh, Ancients, kill me now."

The Sorceress couldn't help but laugh at his discomfiture. "We'll get to that in a second," she replied gently; "I'll try to make it as painless as possible for the both of us. For now, let's get down to business and then we'll get to the personal side of things."

=)=)=)

Adam stared at the table and waited for the Sorceress to begin. When it became obvious that she was waiting for him to look at her, he raised his eyes.

The Sorceress smiled at him and said, "For years, since Teela, Adora, and you were born, I tried to keep track of your futures. When it came to Teela's and yours for the past twenty years, it had always been consistent."

He swallowed roughly. "What did you see?" he asked softly.

She looked off to the side as if she were seeing the memory play out beside him. "I saw a future where Teela was the Sorceress of Grayskull and you were the king."

He glanced down at the table worriedly. "How old am I in this future? Why is my father not king? Did he merely step down or did he…did he die?"

She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "All I will say is that you seemed to be very happy at that point. It's not good to know too much about the future, Adam. Even I only see glimpses. If a person knows the future, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. He or she will make it happen even if there is a chance to avoid it."

He looked up hopefully. "So, you're saying that the future can change…that my fears are unfounded, that Teela doesn't have to be the Sorceress of Grayskull."

"No," she answered softly, still not letting go of his hand, "Teela doesn't have to be the Sorceress of Grayskull. The future can change…but yours never has until now."

Adam met her eyes with his nervously and asked, "How has it changed? Are things worse? Are we not happy?"

"I don't know." She seemed very perturbed.

He pulled his hand away from the Sorceress and questioned, "What do you mean?"

"I can no longer see your future or Teela's. The moment you two…decided to acknowledge your feelings, a blur is all I can see when I try to direct my vision to your future. I think it means that your future is uncertain right now. I'll admit I'm concerned."

He anxiously stood and paced the room. His thoughts were in chaos. "I've changed the future, somehow? How is that possible? How could I go 'off course' if I didn't even know I was on one? The decisions that I made felt natural…I didn't fight with myself when I was with Teela. If the future you saw was meant to be or the best choice, wouldn't my instincts have made me go in that direction? I don't understand."

The Sorceress stood and blocked his path. When Adam was within a foot of her, she grabbed both of his shoulders and replied, "This goes back to what you and Man-at-Arms were discussing on the way here. You do have free will. Nothing is set in stone. I can't explain it any better than that."

Adam took a deep breath and finally asked, "Why are you telling me this? Most people don't know the future anyway. They don't have an oracle watching over their lives telling them when they have changed the course of their future. Why do I need to know?"

"I want you to know the risks," she stated calmly.

"What risks?"

"I knew you would be happy. I knew you had a very solid future as the King of Eternia and her as the Sorceress of Grayskull. I knew you would be the greatest king Eternia has ever had…but I don't see that now. I don't see anything. I just want you to be aware that the choices you are making now are affecting that future, a future you would have enjoyed."

He sat down and stated confidently, "But I might enjoy the future that you will come to see."

"Yes, you might, but you still need to know that there is a possibility that you won't. All actions have consequences."

He looked down and pondered, "If you can't see my future anymore that must mean my decision to seek a relationship with Teela affects a huge event in our futures…one that would have made us happy." He shook his head. "I used to believe I didn't stand a chance to be with Teela. Maybe that's what has changed. Maybe now that I've gotten it in my head that I can possibly be with her, my future will be spent pining for someone I won't be with. Maybe I won't be happy."

The Sorceress sighed and observed, "You aren't usually this negative, Adam. Speaking as the Sorceress of Grayskull, I simply want you to know that there are risks with your current decisions about Teela, so I want you to proceed very carefully. That's really the big message I wanted to give you. And also, stop thinking that if Teela becomes the Sorceress of Grayskull, she can't also be the Queen of Eternia. History shows us that is not true. Your ancestor, King Grayskull, was the Champion of Eternia and Queen Veena was the first Sorceress."

He gaped at her. "Really?"

"Really."

Adam closed his eyes for a moment and thought about the history lessons he had read about them as a child. After several seconds, his eyes shot open and he exclaimed, "But didn't King Grayskull…"

The Sorceress shook her head and said, "What happened to him has nothing to do with your future with Teela. You are different people in different times under different circumstances. I only bring your ancestors up to show you that the Champion of Eternia and the Sorceress of Grayskull being together romantically is not forbidden. If Teela does still have that future when I can finally see it again, do not take it as a sign that your love is not meant to be."

He sighed in relief. "Thank you, Sorceress."

She nodded but otherwise did not acknowledge his thanks. Instead Adam watched her face contort into one that showed profound sternness. "Now, I will speak as Teela's mother," she announced.

Adam fidgeted and looked beside him at Man-at-Arms for help. His mentor lifted his hands as if to say he didn't have any idea what to do.

The Sorceress sat back down at the table and stated, "With all this worrying that you have displayed over the last two days, Adam, it's obvious that despite the novelty of your relationship, you have big plans for the future with my daughter. I admit I've always known of your feelings, but since you believed they would always be unrequited I didn't address it, but now that the future is uncertain and I know your intentions, I want to be very clear on certain things."

He squirmed and waited to hear what she had to say.

He didn't have to wait long. "Like Duncan, I cannot think of another person more worthy to be my daughter's husband, so despite your fears on the subject, I do not object. What I do object to is—how do I put this delicately—your reluctance to decide what your intentions are on a subject that your mother and you have discussed recently."

He gasped. He was mortified to have confirmation that she knew about his thoughts, his and Teela's actions, and his conversation with his mother. He glanced at Duncan worriedly.

She raised her hand to get his attention and said, "Do not worry about Man-at-Arms right now. This is between you and me. If there is even a chance of you walking down that road, I want you to handle it with a clear head."

He nodded immediately. "Of course!"

"Do not hurt my daughter, Adam," she stated sharply. "She is as anxious as you are, and she does love you. You need to be aware of that. With that being said, I want to give you some food for thought. Teela does not know your secret. You need to think about that as you proceed in this relationship. Think about how far you take things while she is still unaware of that secret. She still has feelings for He-Man that baffle her since she knows she loves you. When she comes to realize that you are one and the same, she might be angry because she has spent many days and nights trying to understand her feelings and not being able to. You need to think about these things and make the best decisions possible when it comes to your relationship. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Wide-eyed, he nodded. "Y-yes," he stammered.

The Sorceress nodded, smiled, and then stated, "Good. Well, hurry back to the palace. She's looking for you."

=)=)=)

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter even if there wasn't any A/T goodness involved, LOL. I just wanted to make a side note about King Grayskull and Queen Veena. I know that those ancestors weren't mentioned on the Filmation version of He-Man, but I hope you don't mind that I used them anyway. I don't know if my thoughts on those characters line up with 200X's version, but I'll contemplate that at another time. Regardless, it doesn't affect the story. Anyway, again, I hope you enjoyed it!_


	6. Chapter 6

Teela's Visitor Chapter 6

Most of the ride back to the Royal Palace was made in silence. Adam kept contemplating where to take things from here in regards to his relationship with Teela. The Sorceress had warned him: he was changing the future right now, and he wanted that future to be filled with happiness. He didn't want to do anything that would cause Teela any heartache, so he fervently prayed that seeking a relationship with one another would only make things better. He wanted to believe that love always made things better, even though he knew rationally that wasn't always the case.

In the distance, he saw the Eternian Palace and smiled. The Sorceress had stated that Teela had been looking for him while he had been at Castle Grayskull, and if the past was any indication of the future—which it was—she was still searching for him. In the past, when he didn't show up for his combat lesson, she would search for him all day until she found him. He used to find those actions somewhat annoying, especially when he had wanted to rest up after saving someone as He-Man, but at this particular moment, he loved it. He couldn't wait to see her again after the morning that he had just endured. He knew things would seem bearable as soon as he saw her. She always had that ability, even before they had admitted their feelings for one another, to calm him and make him believe that everything would be okay.

"Are you ready?" asked Man-at-Arms after they were above the palace and landing.

He didn't know exactly what Man-at-Arms was referring to, but he nodded anyway. "Yes, more than ready," he answered. They landed safely onto their launch pad, and as soon as Adam stepped out of the vehicle, he announced, "I'm going to the kitchen to grab something to eat. I haven't had anything since lunchtime yesterday."

At Duncan's nod, he started to turn away but abruptly stopped when he heard a stern voice yell, "There you are!"

He turned slightly to look in the direction of that voice, when he heard another shout, "ADAM!"

Soon he found himself on the ground, covered by a large green tiger. Cringer rested the entire length of his body on his and started licking his face frantically. The prince could hardly breathe since the cat was licking him so much. Finally, though, he managed to say, "Cut it out, Cringer! You're killing me!"

The tiger pulled his face away slightly and gave him one last lick on the chin before replying to justify his actions, "Y-you've been missing all morning! You even missed breakfast and it was so good! I was worried."

He couldn't help but laugh. "_Leave it to Cringer to worry hysterically because I missed a meal_," he thought. But of course, he knew he had done the same thing when Cringer had been missing and missed meals in the past. He gave the tiger an affectionate pat and said, "Well, I'm fine, so let me up."

As Cringer moved away and Adam got to his feet, the owner of the original voice that he had heard walked up to him. He looked at her face and immediately frowned. Teela looked angry, very angry. Luckily, though, it wasn't directed towards him. Instead, she was glaring at her father!

=)=)=)

"Father, what were you doing?"

Man-at-Arms and Adam both raised their brows in response to Teela's question. She sounded and looked very upset.

"Uh, Teela?" Adam questioned cautiously. "What's wrong?"

She immediately softened her expression as she turned her attention towards him and said, "You already know. You told me what Father said, remember? And, on top of that, it's obvious he just took you away from the palace to talk to you alone about me! I should have been there!" Getting a little angry again, she turned back to Duncan and said, "Father, you know I love you. Nothing will ever change that, but Adam and I are adults. We don't need your permission to see one another, and if you want to talk to Adam about me, then please make sure I'm there. I have a right for my opinions and wants to be heard, too!"

Duncan gaped at her before replying, dumbfounded, "O-of course, you do, my daughter."

Before either individual could get anything more out, Adam felt the need to interject. "Teela," he whispered softly, brushing her back tenderly, "your father didn't whisk me away from the palace to talk about you. The Sorceress of Grayskull wanted to see us."

Immediately, she turned startled eyes towards him. "What?" she gasped. She then looked at her father and blushed. "Oh, well…he still doesn't…"

Adam interrupted her again by saying, "It turns out my earlier fears were unwarranted."

"They were?" she asked, unsurely.

He nodded. "Yes." He watched her blush grow even darker from embarrassment. He grinned at her amusedly and added, "And, you were wrong about one more thing."

"Oh, Ancients," she mumbled. "What is it?"

He smiled brightly, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "We do need his permission."

She jumped a little. "What?"

He pulled away and nodded at her. "Well, we might not actually need it, but I want it. I want to do things the right way." He then turned to face Duncan, pulled Teela to his side, and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Duncan," he said confidently, "you know how I feel about your daughter and you know me better than anyone, so your approval and acceptance would mean the world to me…to the both of us. Do I have permission to court your daughter?"

Duncan immediately smiled and laughed a little. "After everything I've seen, heard, and gone through today, I don't think I have much of a choice!"

Adam joined in and laughed, as well, after adding, "I think my morning beats yours! Trust me!" Teela simply stared at them disbelievingly.

Eventually, Man-at-Arms quieted, clasped Adam firmly on the shoulder, and answered, "Putting all jokes aside, you already know I can't think of anyone more worthy than you. Yes, you have my permission to court my daughter."

Adam squeezed Teela's side tightly for a second and grinned down at her.

Teela smiled as well but hurriedly looked down at their shoes to seemingly study them. He knew she was still embarrassed about her little tirade and maybe a little shy about what just happened. To comfort her, he slipped both of his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. She did the same to him as she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

=)=)=)

He stretched his legs out on the blanket under him and leaned against a tree. Teela had suggested going on a picnic to the Evergreen Forest to get away from the palace so they could talk and so he could finally eat after missing two meals in a row. He had eagerly accepted.

His stomach growled loudly as Teela sat in front of him, facing him, and began to pull all the food out of the basket that they had brought with them. She immediately laughed at the sound and handed him a sandwich. "Hurry up and eat this!" she exclaimed; "Never skip two meals in a row again!"

He rolled his eyes at her playfully in response to her stern Captain of the Guard voice and said, "Yes, ma'am."

She continued to take things out of the basket and shook her head in amusement when she finished. After handing him something to drink, she chastised teasingly, "I seriously don't know what you'd do without me, Adam. I have to train you to defend yourself and be your bodyguard. And now, I have to make sure you eat!" She glared at him and tried to hold it steady.

Wanting to unnerve her and see her blush, he grinned mischievously and whispered, "Yes, I know. And, don't forget you're also teaching me the art of courting."

As anticipated, she blushed brightly and looked down at her hands. "Y-yes," she stammered. "That is another thing."

He gave into the desire to laugh and it rang throughout the forest. She reached out to push on his shoulder, but he immediately grabbed her hand. As they intertwined their fingers together, he ordered gently, "Get your food and come here."

Freeing her hand, Teela grabbed a sandwich and drink before scooting across the blanket to rest at Adam's side. Instantly, he lifted his arm and draped it across her shoulders, pulling her close. As he took another bite of his sandwich, she snuggled into his side and ate, as well.

For long moments, they simply consumed their food and watched Cringer chase butterflies. They laughed together and encouraged the tiger to get them. As the great cat followed the bugs and things got quieter as he moved away, Adam and Teela both asked simultaneously, "What are you thinking?"

They laughed as they turned to look at each other. "You first," Adam then stated.

She shook her head emphatically and replied, "Oh, no! You first!"

He immediately brushed his hand that was around her up and down the upper portion of her arm. He debated what he should really say. Half the time, his mind was on what the Sorceress had told him about their futures, but the other half, he was noticing that this was the first time Teela and he were truly away from the palace and everyone else since their first encounter. They were alone…aside from Cringer.

He leaned forward away from the tree and knew despite how badly he wanted to take advantage of their location, he needed to talk about what he had learned at Grayskull. "I'm thinking about a lot of things," he began.

"About us?" she questioned.

He nodded. "Yes." He paused for a moment and then said, "I guess I might as well come clean with you, Teela."

He immediately noticed that she looked worried. He wondered what she was thinking. To allay whatever fears she had, he announced hurriedly, "The Sorceress of Grayskull contacted me this morning, because she wanted to talk to me about our futures."

He knew whatever Teela had expected, it hadn't been that. She arched her brow and almost seemed to have trouble comprehending his words. Eventually, she wrinkled her face in confusion and asked, "She wanted to talk about our futures? As in Eternia's or mine and yours?"

"Ours," he answered. He could tell she was surprised by his answer.

"What did she say?"

Adam immediately shifted so he could face her. He knew he couldn't tell her everything, so he decided he would only deal with him and talk about her when he had to. He grabbed her hand and held it tenderly. "She told me that she has watched my future since the day I was born. For the first time in my life, my future is beginning to change."

Teela looked worried. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "She said she always saw a happy future for me, but when you and I decided to be together…" He paused as he saw pure fear cross Teela's face. He knew what she was thinking. She was scared he was going to tell her that she had ruined their futures. Once again, he rushed to explain. "She can no longer see our futures!"

When her jaw dropped, he added, "That's not necessarily a bad thing! It's just that we acknowledged our feelings for one another, so now our future is uncertain. The future is dependent on our decisions, as the Sorceress explained to me. Well, I think the future is uncertain now because we're uncertain about what will become of our relationship. We haven't gone public, yet, and we're both nervous. Surely, that's the cause."

She calmed and nodded slightly. "Yes…that sounds plausible."

He nodded, too, and continued, "She was merely telling me that we need to proceed carefully." He looked at her and waited to hear what she had to say.

She met his gaze and after several seconds, she replied, "I thought we were already proceeding carefully."

He smiled. "Well, yeah, we were…are. I just wanted you to know why I was at Castle Grayskull this morning since it dealt with you. After all, you did give your father a hard time about discussing our relationship without you being there."

She immediately shook her head. "Oh, don't remind me!" She pushed on him. "How could you let me say that to him?"

He laughed and replied with hilarity, "How in the world could I have stopped you? Besides, I did my best when I realized why you were so angry at him! You know you would have said a lot worse if I hadn't intervened."

She agreed, "Yeah, I know. I guess I'll have to go and apologize to Father this afternoon." She looked down at their joined hands for a moment and then continued, "So, is the Sorceress concerned about our futures? Are you?"

Adam pursed his lips and answered truthfully, "She's concerned because she can't see it, but she…seemed okay with the idea of us courting. As for me, I might be concerned for the same reasons the Sorceress is since she can usually see my future, but I have…faith in us."

She smiled and whispered, "Me, too." She immediately leaned to the side and met his lips with hers for a chaste kiss. When she pulled back, she questioned, "I wonder what she saw in my future."

He immediately fidgeted and replied, "She didn't really say. She just said we were happy."

"That's it?" She looked like she didn't believe him.

He shrugged. "Well, she said I was going to be a great king, but…she didn't really get into you." His mind scrambled for an explanation and then finally stated, "I mean, it wouldn't have been right for her to discuss you without you being there, right?"

She seemed to think about that for a moment and then agreed. They both grew quiet and after they looked to see where Cringer was and not seeing him, she questioned, "So, what else were you thinking about? You said a lot of things were on your mind."

He immediately grinned and blushed. He noticed that Teela had raised a brow in response. "I was noticing that we were away from the palace." Her brow arched higher. "Alone," he added.

It dawned on her what he meant and she chuckled a little nervously. "Yes, that's what I was thinking about earlier, too."

"That we're alone?" he clarified, wiggling his eyebrows up and down playfully.

Instead of her laughing like he had expected her to, she looked down at the ground. He could barely see her face. "Sort of," she answered softly. "I was actually thinking about what we could do here because we're alone."

Immediately, he looked around to see where Cringer was again. He scooted back to rest against the tree again and asked, "Oh, really? What kind of things were you thinking about?"

She seemed to hunch even lower. He could see that her skin was reddening. "Use your imagination," she mumbled.

"I'd rather you show me," he whispered.

Her head snapped up at that.

He immediately cringed, worried that he frightened or offended her. "I'm just teasing!" he explained rapidly. "I'm just happy being with you."

Teela grinned and replied, "Yeah, I'm happy being with you, too." She scooted closer to Adam again and picked up his hand. She started playing with it nervously by rubbing her nails across his palm and fingers.

He gasped and she looked up at him in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry! Ticklish?"

"No," he answered immediately. "That—that felt good."

"Oh," she whispered as she looked back down at his hand. Slowly, she started rubbing her fingernails across his palm again and he squirmed. Smiling a little, she raked her fingernails up his arm and brought it back down to his palm. Immediately, he moaned.

She looked up in response and inhaled sharply. He was looking at her with hooded eyes and his eyes had grown to a deeper blue. "Adam?" she questioned.

"Teela?"

It seemed like she didn't know what she wanted to say so she decided to take action. She took the hand she was holding and moved it so he was wrapping it around her waist. She then leaned on his chest slightly and kissed him on the lips. The moan he gave now was louder than the one before.

He brought his other arm around her and crushed her body to him. Only their lips and the upper portions of their torsos were touching, but it was driving Adam crazy. He opened his mouth to allow them to explore each other as he slipped one of his arms lower and wrapped it under her posterior. He then moved her entire body closer and she took the hint. She moved her right leg to the other side of his waist and straddled him.

Adam immediately clutched her to him, so they could press against each other. They didn't cease in their kisses, but his hands couldn't seem to find a place to settle. At one moment, he used one to hold the back of her head, but at other times, he used both to rush across her sides, her hips, her thighs…He couldn't get enough of her.

After a few more minutes of intense kisses and Adam touching every portion of her back, she pulled away. "Adam," she gasped.

"Yeah," he replied, panting heavily. He met her gaze and they simply stared at each other. He could tell she wanted something but she wouldn't ask. He knew she was probably too nervous. Swallowing and hoping she wanted the same, he whispered softly, "Can I touch you? You know…like before?"

She gasped. It seemed like the words alone brought her pleasure. Her gasp did the same to him. He closed his eyes in elation as she said, "Yes."

He leaned forward and met her lips again as he ran his hands slowly and softly at first over her chest, but eventually he grew bolder and more confidant with his touch.

"Adam," Teela moaned every so often.

Soon, Adam drifted one of his hands lower and instinctively placed it over her abdomen like he had on that first night. He knew it was no longer her time so she wasn't needing his touch there anymore. He had simply gone there out of habit, even though that habit had developed with only two interactions between them. Teela then moaned loudly and pressed her lower body against him. Just as he started to think hesitantly about where else his hand might go and if they were ready for such a move, a loud voice boomed in his head.

"_ADAM_!"

He pulled away sharply, realizing immediately what he was thinking and doing. He breathed deeply to calm himself several times. Teela looked at him questioningly, but right now he was too mortified to speak.

The Sorceress had spoken to him and he could still feel her presence!


	7. Chapter 7

Teela's Visitor Chapter 7

If there had been a time in his life when he had been more embarrassed, or possibly even more terrified, than he was now, he couldn't remember when it was. And, he knew that fact had to be showing on his face clearly, because Teela was staring at him worriedly.

"Adam?" she questioned, touching her fingers against his cheek so that he would make eye contact with her. "What's wrong?"

He didn't answer her. He merely stared because at that moment, the Sorceress began speaking telepathically. "_You must hurry to Castle Grayskull immediately! Skeletor is on his way to attack the castle_!"

Adam continued to stare at Teela as he felt the Sorceress' presence recede: he didn't know what he was going to do or say. Here he was with Teela on his lap and they had just been making-out hot and heavy. How could he leave without sending the message that he objected to what they were doing?

She was obviously growing impatient with his silence, because her voice grew a little sharper: "Adam, tell me what's wrong! Did I…?"

He quickly shushed her as he searched his mind frantically for an answer to give her. He then looked deeper into the forest and replied, "I think I heard Cringer yelling." He pretended to listen carefully and then nodded. He stood as he held her tightly and set her on her feet once he got to his. "I'm sorry, but I have to go check on him! There's no telling what kind of mess he's gotten himself into."

"I didn't hear anything," said Teela unsurely, "but I'll help you look for him."

She started to take a step forward, but Adam brought his hands to her shoulders and exclaimed, "No! No! Uh, you should pack up our food. I'm sure he's just gotten himself tangled in some vines or something. I'll be back soon."

He didn't wait for any rejection of his ideas. He ran deeper into the forest and berated himself silently for not coming up with a better excuse, but what else could he have said? "_I really do need to find Cringer, and I can't tell her that Castle Grayskull is under attack, because she would want to come and I wouldn't be able to change into He-Man._" His shoulders slumped as he scoured the land for his tiger. He wasn't upset that he couldn't seem to find him; instead, he was upset because he knew he wouldn't "be back soon" and Teela would think he had abandoned her. Not to mention, he didn't know how she would react to that belief, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be good…and it might be the end of their relationship.

He squeezed his eyes shut and stopped running. For a brief second, he wanted to turn around and go back to Teela. Surely, the Sorceress could handle Skeletor just once on her own, but he forcibly stopped those thoughts as soon as they began. He was the one who was supposed to protect the Sorceress and the castle—it was his job. He had to protect Eternia at all cost or he wouldn't even have a chance with Teela anyway. They'd all be dead or enslaved. He didn't have any other choice.

Luckily, when he reopened his eyes, he saw Cringer running to him happily. It was one less thing he had to worry about doing in this short period of time. "Adam," the tiger exclaimed, "I-I found a whole field with butterflies right over…"

He almost interrupted the cat to tell him that it was time for He-Man and Battlecat. But instead, he thought maybe he could try to placate Teela and her fury with a believable excuse for his departure. "I need you to do me a favor, Cringer. I need to go to Castle Grayskull, because Skeletor is about to attack. Can you go to Teela and tell her—uh, I don't know—that a woman approached us saying she needed help from a member of the Royal Family immediately so I went with her?"

At his friend's astonished look, he explained, "Well, it's not really a lie! The Sorceress does need me! I just don't want Teela getting mad at me for fleeing! I don't have the excuse of running away from danger right now…and besides, I don't want her to see me that way anymore! I can't be the cowardly prince—Adam has got to be a better man than I have been! She deserves more from her…whatever I am. He-Man's had my best qualities for far too long and I need to show her who I really am as much as I can! I can't start doing that by running away when we started kissing."

Now, the tiger looked amazed at the news that they had been kissing. The prince sighed, ignoring his response. "Please, Cringer, if you've got something better to tell her, then tell her but I have to go now. He-Man is needed!"

The tiger nodded and responded, "I'll tell her, but she's going to be m-mad that you ran off without her being there to prot-t-tect you."

Adam pulled out his sword, looked at Cringer before changing into He-Man, and replied, "I know, but being mad at me for that is better than the alternative."

=)=)=)

He-Man didn't know what Skeletor had been up to, but he hadn't achieved whatever it had been. When he had shown up to Castle Grayskull, the Sorceress and he had taken care of Skeletor, Beastman, and Trap Jaw in record time. They had merely spat antagonistic words at one another, and he had basically thrown them around. Once in a while, the Sorceress had gotten involved when he was about to be hit from behind, and at those times, she used her magic to throw the person into a nearby mud pool. Within no time, Skeletor had called the retreat and threatened that there would be another time. As usual.

He stood on the drawbridge now and waved at the Sorceress. He wanted to hurry up and get back to Teela, because only the Ancients knew how she responded to the excuse Cringer had given her…and he wanted to get to her as quickly as he could to calm any hostilities that might have developed. Now that he knew it was possible for him to have a future with Teela, he wanted to do everything in his power to make her happy…and that meant no longer being the Prince Adam that he had been for so long now. He wanted to make her proud, and he wanted to be honest with her…

"And, we must discuss that," he heard a voice say. Once again, the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull showed him she could read his thoughts.

Sighing, he focused his attention on her and said aloud, "You know, I never thought I'd find myself saying I hate any of your abilities, but recently…it's been happening."

"I know," she replied sadly, "but we are at a crucial crossroad in your life, He-Man, so I need to be aware of what's going on at all times. You need to be more cautious about what you decide right now, so I'm paying more attention to you personally than I usually do. If your future changes for the worst, I need to be aware of what decision you have made that caused such a result, so I'm monitoring you and your thoughts on a regular basis. I do not mean to cross any boundaries, but we must understand what our roles are in regards to the protection of Eternia and Castle Grayskull. Yes, my job is to protect this castle's secrets whereas yours is to protect this castle and the planet as a whole…but our jobs are also to protect each other. If either of us fails, the other will soon thereafter. That's why I…know so much about your personal life right now."

He-Man looked down at the ground nervously. He didn't want to question if she knew what he had been doing and thinking when she contacted him earlier, but not knowing was driving him crazy. He groaned and she interrupted him before he could speak.

"Maybe we should discuss this in the castle," she suggested.

He realized abruptly that he was outside—which really showed what mind frame he was in right now—so he nodded and stepped inside as soon as the drawbridge lowered. He changed himself back into Adam before he approached the throne room. Why he felt the almost overwhelming desire to do so baffled him and he supplied himself with a few possible answers: first, he didn't want to be He-Man during this discussion because in that form he felt obligated to do whatever the Sorceress told him to do and second, in this form, he was the prince and in the hierarchy of the planet, she did not have the right to tell him to do anything.

He sighed and shook his head at the autocratic thought. That wasn't him at all—he never liked playing the "prince card," but he was afraid of the discussion they were about to have. Did she know what she had interrupted earlier? Would she demand him to keep his hands off her daughter? She would have every right to do so, but what if she went further and demanded that he leave her alone all together? What if she demanded that he maintain the status quo in his relationship with Teela? After all, he had merely thought about wanting to be honest with Teela and the Sorceress had immediately suggested that they talk about it. He didn't want things to remain the same with Teela! He wanted to be a better man for her and he wanted to include her in everything that he had been going through. But what if the Sorceress forbade it? Coming in as the prince instead of Castle Grayskull's…warrior made him feel slightly better, even if he wasn't at all sure that he could make himself use his social status as a means to get his way. He knew he probably couldn't.

He rubbed a hand warily over his eyes and sighed yet again. He walked into the throne room and the Sorceress was already seated high above him.

"You looked troubled, Adam," she stated. Her words didn't hold any recriminations or reproaches—it was merely an observation.

"I am," he agreed simply. He didn't know where this conversation was going to go, so he allowed her to lead him.

"I think I know what's troubling you," she stated calmly, "and I can understand the emotion. I am Teela's mother, and I have a feeling if we don't address things more candidly than we did earlier, we're going to continue to find ourselves in this awkward situation again and again."

The prince quickly agreed by nodding and looked up to her. He admitted, "I don't like feeling that you're my opposition or that I have to hide anything from you…but I also don't like that you do know so much. And, on that end, I hate guessing what you do or don't know. I might end up telling you stuff that I didn't want you to know when you didn't in the first place. This is just completely…frustrating."

The Sorceress laughed and walked down slowly from her throne. "There are ways to know, Adam."

He scoffed a little and replied, "I don't want to ask you. That's just embarrassing, and…"

"No," she interrupted. "There are other ways to know. Adam, have you ever questioned why Adora seems to have more abilities than you when she's She-Ra?"

Her question startled him. It seemed to come out of left field. He coughed a little to try to alleviate some of the discomfort he felt at discussing this topic. He replied, "I'll confess that it has crossed my mind. I have wondered why she can do things that I can't."

She didn't seem surprised by his answer. Instead, she reassured him, "There are many things you can do that she can't, as well. You both have different missions, if you will. Your abilities mainly come from your strength. You are the castle's fighter, so to speak, whereas She-Ra is a protector of the innocent, not that you don't protect others, too. You do."

He shrugged. "So, what's your point? What does this have to do with our current predicament?"

"My point is there are things you can do as Adam and He-Man that you have not opened yourself up to. Because you hold the Sword of Power, you naturally assumed that everything you do is tied to your strength and you never looked beyond that. When your sword combined with the Sword of the Ancients, I thought at that time you might look deeper to see what changed in your abilities, but you never did. Adora didn't know anything about this castle and I didn't tell her about her sword like I did with you, so she was more open to things."

"So, can I heal people and talk to animals like my sister can?" he asked disbelievingly.

She chuckled. "No, you can't, but you stated a moment ago that you hated having to guess what I do or do not know. In other words, you want to know when I'm present in your mind. Just like you can reach out to me with your mind instead of with your sword like Adora does, you can do other things with your mind. For example, you recently discovered that you can block my telepathy. Well, another thing you can do is tell when I'm in your thoughts without my having to speak to you. I suppose that knowledge would help to allay your fears when it comes to Teela. You would know when I'm present and could cease doing any actions or thoughts that might be embarrassing to you."

Adam breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, that would be helpful," he agreed. "Can you teach me to do this?"

She nodded. "I will do my best. I can't really show you how to do it. You must simply want to do it, and we must practice it so you can get used to the sensations."

"Okay, so let's do this," he replied before he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He concentrated and waited to see if he could feel something. When he felt nothing, he opened his eyes.

She smiled and informed him, "Trying to feel me when you expect it isn't going to help us. After all, you were doing it to block me earlier in the day. It's easy to feel me when you sit silently and wait for me to show up, knowing that I will. We must do it when you're unaware of when it will happen."

"Okay," he said, slowly, contemplating her words, "so how can we do that?"

"By distracting you."

"And, how will we do that?"

"Well, we can discuss my knowing what you were thinking and doing with Teela earlier or we can discuss whatever else is troubling you."

He gasped as he felt his cheeks grow hot.

"And, no," she continued calmingly, "I wasn't spying on you at that particular moment. When I contacted you, though, I read your surface thoughts and I knew the situation you were in. It happens quite instinctively on my part, but I didn't have the knowledge beforehand and I didn't seek it out."

He was relieved to hear that she hadn't spied on him and Teela intentionally, but he was now uncomfortable with the knowledge that she had a front row seat for one of the most intimate moments in his life. "_Kill me now_," he thought.

The Sorceress replied, "No, I'm not going to kill you. I'm just going to remind you of what I said earlier: you need to proceed carefully in this relationship. Even though I cannot see your future at this time, I have a feeling that if Teela and you…make love before she discovers your secret, she will not take it so well. After all, she will feel like she slept with a stranger. She might feel betrayed."

Adam nodded consistently as he stared at the ground. He thought to himself, "_Well, that's an effective way to tell me she doesn't want me to sleep with her daughter," _he thought. But he knew regardless of her motives she was right. "Does this mean I can tell her who I am?" he asked hopefully despite already knowing what her answer would be. Then, he jumped as he felt something push into his mind. He didn't know how to describe the sensation, but it felt…unsettling. He looked up to question silently if the feeling came from her.

The Sorceress smiled and nodded. "You didn't feel me a moment ago, so I decided to do something else. I purposely entered your mind a little more than I usually do, so you would feel a bigger reaction. Now, I'm going to do it like I normally do. It will feel the same but on a smaller scale. Ready?"

He nodded and the Sorceress began speaking again.

"As for your question, no, unfortunately, you cannot tell Teela at this time. I don't feel comfortable with you making such a big decision until I can see the future again."

Adam frowned and asked, "But what if this is why you can't see the future? What if I need to make this decision in order for you to see how things turn out?"

The Sorceress seemed to think about this and then replied, "It's possible, but I highly doubt it since my ability to see your future stopped when you two admitted your feelings to one another, not when you started to question if you should tell her your secret. Besides, I believe since your relationship is so new, she might not be able to control her reactions to the news right now. I think we should give the both of you a chance to relax into your new roles in each other's lives before we complicate things."

"Yeah, and that's assuming that she still wants to court after I left her in the forest today," he stated before he felt a slight prod in his mind. He grinned instantly in success despite his troubles. He then announced, "I felt you."

"Good," she praised. "Let's practice it a few more times to be sure you got the hang of it."

He nodded in agreement and then asked, "Then, can you tell me about more of my powers and we'll practice those too, right?"

She shook her head.

=)=)=)

He didn't call anyone to come to pick him up. Adam wanted to walk all the way back to the palace from Castle Grayskull, so he'd have time to think. And, he did have a lot to contemplate:

First, he was nervous about how Teela would react when he showed back up. Would she be angry or understanding? He hoped it was the latter, because he didn't want to hit a bump in their relationship so soon, but he knew that might be inevitable. With a sigh, he then thought about the Sorceress' revelation that he had more powers than he knew about. In just one day, he had discovered he could do a lot more with his mind than he had first thought (and as Adam, not just He-Man!)…but the thing that was so frustrating was that she refused to tell him about any of the others! Just like he had discovered on his own that Cringer could turn into Battlecat, he had to discover his other abilities, as well. He groaned in frustration. How in the world would he be able to figure them all out? He didn't see how it was possible. And, why couldn't she just tell him? And, finally, he acknowledged that despite her showing him how to feel her presence, he was still nervous about her watching him and Teela. After all, what was stopping her from watching them in her mirror? He knew she sometimes did that, and she would probably do so at this time when she felt keeping tabs on him was so necessary. He wouldn't be able to feel her when she was watching him that way. He groaned at his paranoia. Maybe she would avoid doing it that way since she knew he was so sensitive about it.

With these thoughts churning in his mind over and over again, Adam wasn't aware of anything else until he walked inside his bedchambers. He had been on autopilot. When he sat down on his bed and lay back, he closed his eyes for several minutes to both rest and try to forget about everything for a brief moment.

When he reopened his eyes, he was surprised to find Teela standing over him. "And, where have you been?" she asked softly. He had expected her to sound more fierce and angry since he had left her behind as he went on a supposed mission.

He swallowed roughly as he sat up and replied, "Did Cringer tell you what happened?"

She nodded and said calmly, "Oh, he told me some lie about you needing to accompany a lady who needed help from a member of the Royal Family."

His jaw immediately dropped. "Teela!" he exclaimed. "That's actually the tru—" His words were stopped by Teela kissing him soundly on the lips.

When she pulled back, she pressed their foreheads together as she whispered, "Ancients, Adam, you make me feel like I'm some kind of lecher who is out to steal your innocence!"

Once again, he found himself goggling at her. "What?" he gasped in bewilderment.

She instantly pulled back and stared at him intently. "Listen, Adam, I know what happened today in the forest. I…was a little aggressive and I scared you. You thought I wanted to go farther in our relationship than you're ready to go right now, so you made an excuse to get away. I'm not mad—I understand the reaction. Just…next time tell me instead of running away when it comes to matters like this." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. "I am willing to go as slowly as you want. Remember, I'm just as new at this as you are."

He frowned as he shook his head. "Teela, you've got this all wrong! I'm the one who pulled you into my lap. Believe me, I didn't want to stop. I want you badly…" Then, realizing what he was saying, he added, "I mean, I do want to go slowly. I don't want to rush into things, but I wasn't scared of what we were doing." He smiled and pulled her to him. He arranged her legs so she was straddling him again like she had been earlier. He then leaned his head back, brushed his lips against her ear, and whispered, "I love you sitting like this, I love exploring your body, and I love discovering new things every time I do."

"Oh yeah?" she questioned, her voice getting deeper with obvious desire from resuming their earlier embrace. "What new things have you discovered?"

He grinned and brought his lips to the center of her throat. He kissed her there and sucked on it slightly, just once, to get her to moan. He didn't repeat the action, because he didn't want to give her a hickey in such an obvious location. Instead, he stated, "I discovered that you're very sensitive at the center of your throat and when I touch you there, it drives you crazy."

"That it does," she whispered back huskily.

In response to her voice, he ran his hands down her sides and settled them on her bare thighs. He looked down and smirked devilishly. "Oh, I do love your uniform."

She couldn't help it. Teela laughed and replied, "Yeah, I bet you do. I'm showing a lot more skin than you are."

He raised his brow slightly and asked, "Do you want to even things up a bit?" At her questioning gaze, he said, "I'm not implying that we do anything besides…explore, like we've been doing."

She nodded and just as Adam was about to unbuckle the belt around his tunic, she stopped his motions by putting a hand over his. He looked at her worriedly, and it was on the tip of his tongue to apologize, but she spoke. "Let me do that," she ordered.

Relief and desire filled him at her words. "Gladly," he agreed. He dropped his hands to her waist and watched as she unbuckled him and then pushed his tunic from his shoulders. She seemed to smack her lips softly as she stared at him in his tight-fitting t-shirt. "Do you want this off, too?" he asked.

She nodded at the same moment that she started pulling on the hem of his shirt. He lifted his arms so she could pull it off of him, and once his top half was completely bare, she whispered, "Your body is so gorgeous, Adam."

He smiled and said softly, "I'm glad you think so. I just wish I could make the same observation about you."

Teela looked down at her uniform and stated matter-of-factly, "If I wanted to return the favor, I'd practically have to take my whole uniform off."

He paused and resisted the urge to run his eyes down her uniform. He didn't want her to know her words made him imagine taking it off of her at that very moment. He closed his eyes, pulled her close to hug her, and replied, "It's okay. I'm happy with things as they are." He then pulled back and met her lips with his. They brushed against one another softly and paused in their actions every so often to gaze at one another.

After several moments of repeating their actions, Adam felt something hard shift between them. He pulled back slightly and watched as Teela pulled the outer armor from her leotard. His jaw dropped in shock, but as soon as she rubbed her entire body against his without the hindrance of cold metal, any thoughts he might have had fled. He crushed her body to his with his hands and then used his thigh muscles to scoot back on the bed. Without pulling his lips from hers, he shifted his legs, turned their bodies, laid Teela on her butt, and then pushed her onto his pillows.

He paused to gaze at her. At that moment, he realized he was living a moment from one of his fantasies: Teela was in his room and on his bed with only her leotard and his tights and fur-pants between them. And, best of all, she was looking at him wantonly, like she truly wanted him. He leaned over her and kissed her again briefly. When he pulled back, he realized one thing was different from his fantasies that he had in the past, so he asked, "Can I take your hair down?"

When she nodded, he took off her headpiece and the bobby pins that held her hair up. When her locks tumbled down her neck, he moaned, laid his body over hers, and whispered, "You are so beautiful, Teela. I can hardly believe that you're here and that you're real." He kissed her chastely one more time before he pulled back and said, "I know we keep finding ourselves in situations like this, but I hope you know this isn't just a physical thing for me. I…" He stared into her eyes and paused. It was too soon to tell her.

She leaned forward and met his lips with hers again. "I know what you mean. I feel the same way," she agreed softly. As Adam smiled and ran his fingers through her hair, she reached up to her shoulders ands started pushing her leotard down her arms.

Adam moaned at the sight and pulled back slightly to lay half on top and half to the side of her. He watched her actions with interest, and just as she was about to reveal her breasts to him for the first time, he wondered worriedly if she would regret even this when she found out he was He-Man.

=)=)=)

_I know, not the best update in the world, but I feel it's pretty good after having a long car ride back home, lol. What can I say? I felt like writing. I hope you enjoyed it._


	8. Chapter 8

Teela's Visitor Chapter 8

If he wanted to stop her, Adam knew he had to stop her now. Teela had already revealed the upper portion of her breasts and only a few more tugs would reveal them completely. He kept his eyes on that portion of her body for a second longer, groaned in frustration, and then reached out a shaky hand to lay it on one of hers. "Teela," he whispered, rubbing her hand softly. "I don't think we're ready for this."

He watched as she immediately averted her eyes from his and began to sit up in response to his words. He could tell she was embarrassed, because the light was suddenly gone from her eyes and her smile looked a little too happy. "I'm sorry, Adam," she mumbled as her body tensed. She was about to move away from him.

"Teela, please stop," he pleaded gently as he watched her turn away slightly and pull up one side of her leotard. When she reached for the other side of her outfit, Adam did, as well. He grabbed her hand and said, "Teela, look at me."

She grimaced. "Adam," she whined. She obviously didn't want to do it.

"Teela," he repeated insistently. He tugged on her shoulder and she lay on her back again. After a few moments of waiting, she finally looked at him. He smiled slightly and whispered, "I didn't say I wanted you to leave. I just want to slow things down, because I'm getting to the point where I want to…" He trailed off and he felt his cheeks grow hot. Yes, he stopped her because he didn't want her to hate him when she discovered he was He-Man, but what he was saying now was the truth, too.

He looked down her body and ran his fingernails over her clothed stomach. "I want you so much," he revealed, "and if I was able to stroke bare skin in certain areas, it would drive me a little crazy. I wouldn't want to stop and we might end up…" He met her gaze and whispered, "…making love, and I know this isn't the appropriate time for that."

She reached a hand up and cupped his cheek. "You're right," she admitted with a blush. "I probably wouldn't have been able to stop myself, either."

He closed his eyes and swallowed roughly. He almost mourned the lost opportunity, but he knew it was the right thing to do on many different levels: first, he didn't want to ruin her reputation; second, he had been taught to wait for marriage; and third, he didn't want to betray her trust. But just because he wanted to do the right thing didn't make it easy. When he reopened his eyes, he saw that Teela was smirking at him.

"Regret, huh?" she asked, knowingly.

"You have no idea," he agreed with a chuckle. He ran his eyes up and down her body again and eventually settled them on the one side of her leotard that was higher than the other. He reached a hand out and started pushing it back down.

"Adam!" she exclaimed. She reached out her hand and grabbed his.

He smiled brightly and laughed. He watched as a blush spread along her body. He leaned down and met her lips for a soft, brief kiss. When he pulled away slightly, he whispered, "I only wanted to make that side level with the other again. I think I can handle things that far."

Without pause, she let go of his hand and allowed him to continue to push her clothing to its prior location. When he finished and looked back up at her, she stated matter-of-factly, "You know, Adam, we're playing with fire right now."

"I know," he agreed, "but I like it hot. Don't you?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her playfully.

She laughed and replied, "Oh, yeah!" She reached both arms out, placed them around his neck, and pulled him to her. Their lips met once again and this time, he allowed Teela to do as she wished. She didn't waste any time. She explored his mouth by brushing her tongue across his teeth and dueling with his tongue repeatedly. She then pulled on his bottom lip with her teeth just when he thought she was about to give them some time to breathe.

He gasped instantly in response, and he felt her smile. Now that she no longer had a hold of his lips, he settled beside her on his back and breathed deeply. Already, he was getting too excited. Maybe it was because she was in his room and on his bed, but he needed a little time to calm down. He rested his head next to hers, reached down, and grabbed one of her hands. He squeezed it and brought it to his lips. He kissed it softly but didn't utter any words.

Evidently, she also needed the same time, because she didn't say anything either. Eventually, though, Adam turned on his side, so he could look at her. She did the same. At that moment, he wanted so desperately to tell her that he was He-Man, not because he wanted to further progress their sexual encounters; instead, it was because he felt so close to her at that moment and he wanted her to know who he truly was.

Suddenly, Teela reached out and brushed her fingers across his cheeks. "Just tell me," she whispered.

Startled, he jumped and widened his eyes, because it almost seemed like she had heard his thoughts. Her words came just as he had finished his thought, just like the Sorceress had done many times in the past when she had been listening. But he knew that despite her being the Sorceress' daughter, she couldn't hear anyone's thoughts…at least, not yet. And, even if she could, he felt no other presence in his mind. She simply knew him and his expressions so well. The thought made him smile.

When he remained quiet, she scooted closer, rested her hand on his chest, and whispered with a gleam in her eye, "Well, if you won't tell me what you're thinking about, then I'm going to have to pick the topic."

He reached a hand out and rested it on the slope of her waist. "Does there have to be a topic at all?" he questioned warily as he then ran his fingers over her hip. He knew that look on her face: it was one of determination. She wanted him to tell her what he had been thinking about. Now the only question was what she had planned to get it out of him.

She quickly reached down and took his hand in hers. "Yes," she replied as she repeated his earlier actions and kissed his hand. "I think it's time we talked, don't you? I mean, yes, we've said we want to be together, but…we always get distracted by other things and we never really discuss anything."

Adam nodded and relented, "All right, so what do you want to talk about?"

"Us, of course," she said softly. Like she had earlier, she fiddled with his hand again, but this time she avoided rubbing her nails across his palm. Instead, she moved his fingers around and intertwined them with hers in various different ways.

"What about us?" he asked. He could tell she was getting nervous and he wasn't sure why.

Continuing to look down at their hands, she mumbled, "Well, the truth is I wonder what has gotten into us." She finally looked up and said, "We can't seem to keep our hands off each other and our relationship has never been that way."

He worried a little. "Do you want our relationship to go back to the way things were?" He gulped as she met his eyes steadily.

"No," she answered quickly. "I just…I've never been this way with a guy before." She sat up and turned towards him. "I've worked hard to become Captain of the Royal Guard, as you know."

He nodded.

"I didn't have time for romance, and the truth is I still don't…but I find myself making the time for you and I can't stand it when we're apart. And, when we're together, I can't stand it if we're not touching, talking, or something." She looked down at herself and muttered, "I find myself doing things with you that I haven't with anyone else and it scares me a little. I don't even know what made me encourage you that day in my room. What even made you say that to me?"

He blushed as he remembered what he had mumbled and replied, "I don't know, Teela. I assure you it was an accident. I've…daydreamed about you since I was a kid, and well, my mouth spoke during one of those moments when it normally would have stayed quiet." He thought about her words and asked suddenly, "Do you regret that day now?"

"No," she whispered, "and I've dreamed about you, too. It didn't matter what time of the day it was, but I never thought…You seemed so untouchable to me."

"What?" He was shocked.

She nodded, still unable to look at him. "You're the Prince of Eternia and I'm just a commoner. I'm a nobody, not even a true courtier. And, who knows what my true heritage is on my mother's side. I just never believed you held any feelings for me, and now to go from that to not being able to keep our hands off of one another in such a short period of time…it seems too good to be true."

He pulled her to him and sat her across his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder and with his arms around her, he said, "Well, believe it because it's true. I'm here, you're here, and you're not a nobody. As a matter of fact, I always thought you would never give me a chance, because I was so beneath you."

She gasped. "What do you mean? How could you ever be beneath me? You're the prince!"

He turned his head to the side and kissed her forehead. "I thought my actions made me beneath you. You know, I'm late all the time and clumsy. I run from battles. That's not exactly the kind of guy one would picture for the Captain of the Royal Guard. There were times when I thought I disgusted you."

"You don't disgust me," she replied. "You confuse me, because I know you're not as helpless as you make yourself out to be. When we were kids, you roughhoused with the best of them when you had to, so I know you do have at least a little fighting skill. I just wish you'd have confidence in yourself and show it sometimes. As for you being late and clumsy…well, we can work on that together."

He laughed loudly and tightened his hold on her. He felt such relief at hearing those words. One of the main things that bothered him was that he wouldn't be "man enough" for her, because he still had to maintain his secret, and Prince Adam couldn't change over night…or much, really. He tugged on her hair a little and when she lifted her face up, he placed his lips soundly on hers. When he pulled away, he said, "I don't want to lose you." He said those words to her before, but he hoped she knew that he meant them.

"You won't," she whispered, "as long as we're honest with one another."

And, a long silence developed.

Adam knew why he was silent: because he couldn't be honest with her, at least not yet. He closed his eyes as he kissed her forehead again. He felt guilty, guiltier than he had ever felt before because of his secret. He hoped the Sorceress would start seeing the future again soon, or he might just act without her approval and let the chips fall where they may.

Eventually, though, without warning, Teela interrupted the silence and his thoughts. "I think I know what you were thinking about earlier, and you're thinking about it now, too," she said.

He doubted it seriously, but he replied, "Well, then tell me, all-knowing one."

She got off his lap and sat crossed-legged in front of him. Her actions told him that whatever she came up with was serious, so he had better not laugh at it, no matter how wrong she was. He straightened his back subconsciously as she straightened hers, and then, as soft as air, he heard her words. "You wanted to tell me that you love me, but you think it's too soon. Well, here's my response to that: I love you, too. We've known each other for far too long to deny what we feel when it's so plain to the other. What's the point?"

Adam gaped at her. He couldn't believe it. He always believed he'd be the one to say it first and he thought it would be much later down the road when she hinted that she was ready to hear them. He should have known better. Teela had always been impulsive and had the habit of saying whatever popped into her mind without any filters. "Teela," he gasped in awe.

"I love you," she said again, a little louder this time.

He really did hear it! He couldn't control himself! He grinned and exclaimed enthusiastically, "YES!" He had never been so happy in his life. He rose onto his knees gathered her into his arms and all but shouted, "I love you!" He then kissed her passionately. There was no dueling to see who would lead the kiss this time—Adam dominated it from the start. He learned and touched every surface of her mouth relentlessly until she could stand no more. When Teela pulled away to breathe, he moved his attention to her neck for a moment before stopping for air himself.

"Wow," she teased as she ran her fingers through his hair and moved her head back a little, so she could see his face.

He looked up at her as he grinned again happily. He straightened his body and moved his face mere inches from hers. "Say it again," he whispered.

With a laugh, she obeyed. "I love you." He immediately tried to kiss her again, but she held a finger to his lips to stop him. "I'm not finished," she said with a stern glance.

He backed away and allowed her to speak with a little room.

She cocked her head to the side and he could see the sincerity in her eyes. He was surprised to see tears also gathering in them. "I love you, Prince Adam of Eternia."

He closed his eyes. He had waited so long to hear those words, and to hear them from Teela meant everything. He could die a happy man today and he wouldn't regret a second of it. When he reopened his eyes, he saw that she was waiting patiently for him to look at her again. "I don't know what the future holds for us, Adam, but I will say this: don't worry about my position in the Guard or what others might say: I love you and I've decided I want to be with you, no matter what, even if it means…" She stared at him.

It was his turn to tell her what she wanted to say. Tears now gathered in his eyes as he finished, "Even if it means becoming the Princess of Eternia?" He said it as a question, because he hadn't been entirely sure that's what she wanted to say, but her sudden smile told him he was right.

"Yes," she said as she leaned forward and kissed him again.

They pressed their lips together and Adam pushed her down to lay her head on his pillows again. He was no longer thinking consciously—he was merely reacting. When they parted, he worked his lips down her neck and kissed and licked that spot at the center of her throat which he knew drove her mad.

Only when he heard her moan did he move on. He expanded his exploration to her torso and raked his lips across every bit of new skin that was revealed that day until he finally got to the upper portions of her breasts that was exposed to his eyes. He stopped suddenly and looked up at her.

She bit her bottom lip lightly and nodded.

Adam smiled and kissed the slight hollow between her breasts. He then moved his lips to the right breast and nuzzled the skin softly with his mouth as he brought his hand up to play with the other one. He made sure to keep his touch light, because he wanted her to beg for more. He didn't have to wait long.

"Adam, please!" she cried. "You're torturing me!"

And, then another cry pierced his ears, but it wasn't one he wanted to hear.

"What in the name of Eternia?" a voice boomed and Teela immediately gasped and grabbed a sheet to cover up quickly.

Adam closed his eyes. His first response was to think, "_Why does everyone keep interrupting me all the time_?" The next was the recognition of who that voice belonged to. He knew: he didn't have to look to know who it was, but unfortunately, he knew he had to look anyway. He sat up, opened his eyes, and gasped when he turned around. It was worse than he thought: not only had his father walked in on them, his mother and Man-at-Arms had, too.

=)=)=)

_I'm going to admit this chapter had a life of its own. I didn't start out meaning to take it this way, but it went there. It's pure fluff, but I like it. I hope you enjoyed it, too!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Just a warning to the kiddies, this chapter, while still at the T rating, gets a little graphic and sex is a topic of discussion, so if you're under 16, don't read it! Sorry for the spoiler alert, everyone else! LOL_

Teela's Visitor Chapter 9

Adam had to admit it: everyday since Teela and he had admitted their feelings to one another, he seemingly found himself in situations where he thought he couldn't ever be more embarrassed than he was at that particular moment…and everyday proved that the last time he had that thought, he had been wrong. He was so discomfited by his parents' presence now that he could literally feel his ears burning up. He had no doubt if they could see under his hair, they'd shine a bright red, but then again—thanks to his light complexion—he was sure they could see that reaction all over his body. He met his father's gaze temporarily to gauge how bad this situation was going to be, but the king quickly turned away.

"See why I wanted to come right away!" his father announced, looking at the queen. It sounded like the king was trying to justify his actions. He waved his hand towards the couple on the bed. "Only the Ancients know how far they would have gone if we hadn't shown up, and you know as well as I do that he hasn't gone to see his healer, yet!"

Adam gasped. He knew immediately what his father was talking about! "Oh, Ancients, no!" he cried. He covered his eyes for a moment as horror overwhelmed him. His mother had obviously told his father about their conversation. "_Of course, she would. Why did I think otherwise_?" he thought. Still the realization that he should have known didn't help. His father knew this entire time that Teela and he might be having a sexual relationship…and he had checked up on him! At some point recently, the king had gone to see the healer and asked him specifically if his son had gotten any protection from him.

Shaking his head, he looked over at Teela to see that she was also completely mortified. She was holding his sheet over her body and reaching desperately for her armor which was on the floor. "Can you guys get out for a moment so we can make ourselves decent?" he asked loudly for Teela's benefit.

He watched as the king looked back at him and then glanced over at Teela quickly who was already adjusting her armor. "You're decent for the most part now," he replied.

Adam jumped off the bed, grabbed his t-shirt off the floor, and put it on. At that moment, his embarrassment was so deep that he forgot himself and asked harshly, "Don't you guys know how to knock!"

Randor cocked an eyebrow and replied calmly but seriously, "Not in my own palace, I don't. Besides, I didn't have the time to sit around and wait for you to decide that you'd answer the door, son. For all I knew, you might have pretended you weren't here and carried on with your activities. A guard saw Teela slip inside this room shortly after you did and reported it to me and your mother. I think the rest is self-explanatory. We had to stop you before you…made a mistake."

Adam glanced over at Teela for a brief moment to see her reaction. She lowered her head and her blush darkened significantly. He frowned at his father and replied, "Teela and I weren't going to have…sex." He could barely get the word out and he avoided looking at anyone in the eye. He'd never get through this otherwise. He cleared his throat and continued, "We've already discussed that with one another. We were just—" He moved his hands around in no particular pattern. He was searching for an appropriate description.

"Discovering one another?" the queen supplied.

Now, he felt his cheeks get hot. He looked to the floor and answered, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Well, that is something that you and I need to discuss, son," the king stated resolutely as he walked over to him and then turned his attention to the captain. "Teela, you should go with the queen and Man-at-Arms. They want to have a conversation with you, too."

Adam looked at Teela quickly. He was about to apologize to her but stopped when she suddenly winked at him and mouthed, "I love you." He grinned instantly, and with a quick glance to his father, he decided he'd let everyone know just how serious their feelings were for one another. "I love you, too," he replied aloud as he watched her departure. They kept their eyes on each other the entire time until Duncan put a hand on her shoulder, guided her out of the room, and shut the door.

The king watched his son carefully while this took place and then commented as soon as they were alone, "So, you and Teela are already to the 'I love you' stage in your relationship." He sat down on the bed and patted the spot beside him.

Adam stared at his bed for a moment before sighing and resigning himself to the spot his father had indicated. He wasn't sure if the king had made the comment because he didn't like the development or if he was just making that observation. Regardless, he'd set the record straight. "Well, it isn't like we don't know each other, Father. We've had plenty of time to figure out how we feel about one another."

Randor nodded. "Yes, you certainly have known each other for a long time." He looked at his son and asked, "How long have you felt this way about her?"

Adam laughed at the question. "Oh, I don't know, since I was six?" he guessed. He looked away and stared at the wall for a moment. He knew his father was building up to whatever conversation he really wanted to have, and he had no doubt what it would deal with.

"So, if you've been in love with Teela this entire time that means…other girls didn't catch your eye as you were growing up."

And, there it was. He already knew what his father was going to ask. He stared at his shoes and quickly got it over with so it wouldn't be more excruciating than this already was. "No, they didn't. I'm still…untouched, but I think you already know that obviously." His father's presence was enough to prove that, and he gestured around the room to make his thoughts obvious to the king.

His father didn't look repentant at all, and he didn't deny it, either. "Yes, well, I think given what I saw earlier that might be changing in the near future." Adam cringed and the king saw it. "Look, son, I know you don't want to have this conversation with me. I don't blame you, but we have to do this since you didn't take care of the problem yourself."

"What problem?" he asked.

Randor breathed deeply, reached into a pocket on the inside of his robes to grab something, and then handed him a box of condoms.

Adam's mouth dropped open. He sprung off the bed, tossed the box onto the bed, and exclaimed, "Father! What… Why…" He didn't even know what he wanted to ask or say. Yep, today topped them all: this day kept getting more embarrassing and awkward by the minute! He turned abruptly, walked onto his balcony, and shook his head a few times as he mumbled to himself, "This can't be the way it is in other families."

"No, it isn't."

Adam jumped, not realizing that the king had come to stand behind him, and he didn't turn around. He simply listened to his father talk.

"Adam, I will readily admit that we're different and that we do things differently than an ordinary family. But actually, we do have some things in common, as well. For example, parents, who are either royal or the average commoner, would still ideally like for their children to get married before they participate in marital activities, but we all know that doesn't always happen. It doesn't happen a lot, actually…but I'm getting off track. Normally with a common man's family, a parent wouldn't get involved in his children's lives the way that I am with you right now, especially at your age, but you're a king's son, the High King's son. That fact alone takes this situation to a whole new level that isn't common at all." He stepped beside him to the railing and looked out over Eternos. He sighed and continued, "You're not a common person. You can't risk having any illegitimate offspring, son. It would tarnish Teela's reputation and the people might not accept her as their queen. They expect their queens to be virtuous and wholesome before marriage. It's a shame that they hold us to a higher standard than they hold themselves, I know, but that's the way it is when it comes to love. It's one of the drawbacks of being royalty. Regardless of any of that, though, I'm just looking out for you. I don't want you to have a child before you're ready and if you really love Teela, I want you to have the opportunity to marry her without anyone objecting. I'm sorry that this has embarrassed you. The Ancients know I would have been if my father had been around when I met your mother. He would have done the exact same thing I'm doing to you now, trust me."

Finally, he looked at his father. Some of the embarrassment he felt was gone. "Really?" he asked, interested about his father's relationship with his grandfather when he was his age.

"Yes, really."

Adam turned and walked back into his room. His father followed him as he walked to the bed, picked up the box of condoms, and put them in the drawer in his nightstand. He looked back at him and said, "I really didn't need them at this point, Father. Teela and I really have discussed…waiting, you know, until later. I realize what it must have looked like when you walked in earlier, but I wasn't going to go any further than what you saw, honestly."

"You say that now, son," Randor replied, putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing. "Your mother and I said the same thing…but that sure didn't stop us when it was time to. And, trust me, the next couple of weeks after that were excruciating, waiting to see if she was pregnant. I mean, I wanted to marry her and if she had been pregnant at that time, I would have married her that very day to stop anyone's objections, but…"

Adam gaped at him and said, "Father, I don't need to know that much about you and Mother! I really don't!"

The king laughed. "I just want you to know that I understand the situation that you're in. I know you expected me to blow my top, but I've been through this. I know the temptations and expectations…it's…"

"Father," stated Adam sharply.

Again, the king laughed. "Okay, I know…I got my point across. I'll leave now. Just use your head, son." He started to walk out of the room, but he suddenly stopped and stuck his head back in. "Oh, and by the way, son, Teela and you need to be more discreet next time. You'll have the whole palace talking about you if you don't. Luckily, only a guard saw Teela this time, so I ordered the individual to tell no one. Just remember you're being watched constantly. This palace has eyes everywhere. Remind Teela of that, too." Without waiting for a reply, the king left and shut the door.

He sighed in relief.

=)=)=)

A few hours later, Adam found himself nervous as he got ready for dinner. He hadn't seen Teela for a few hours, so he didn't know how long her conversation with his mother and her father had lasted. The only thing he did know was that the conversation had probably been as uncomfortable as his.

He glanced to his nightstand where he had hidden his father's…Could he call it a gift? He groaned at the thought. He still couldn't believe it! His father had definitely been right earlier: he had expected the King of Eternia to be brutal when he found Teela and him as he had, especially given his outburst when he had walked into the room. To give him…what he gave him, it was almost like he was giving him permission…

And, that creeped him out. A lot. "_That's all I need_," he thought sarcastically; "_It was bad enough when I realized that the Sorceress knew what Teela and I were doing, but Mother and Father knowing and expecting it to go even further…_" He grimaced. That was almost a form of birth control in and of itself.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone knocking at the door. "_Well, at least they knocked this time_," he thought as he went to the door. When he opened it, he immediately grinned. "It's about time you showed your face again!" he exclaimed as he saw Teela, grabbed her hand, and stuck his head out in the hall. He looked around carefully before pulling her inside. He shut the door and turned to face her.

It was then that he noticed her different apparel. "Teela?" he gasped questioningly.

She was no longer wearing her uniform. Instead, she was in a long, lavender dress that tucked in at her waist and then flowed downward to the floor. It had no sleeves and a deep v-cut neckline. He raked his eyes appreciatively across her body repeatedly until he recognized the biggest shock of all: her hair was still down! Well, most of it was. She had the sides pulled back, but the rest of it tumbled about her neck and shoulders.

He felt desire rise within him at the sight—he always loved it when she wore her hair down—but he pushed his reaction back down. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he went to her and cupped her cheek to get her to meet his gaze. "What's going on? What's the occasion?" he gestured to her dress.

"Your mother," she said simply. When he wrinkled his brow in confusion, she explained, "After our talk earlier, your mother informed me that we were going to see the tailor. Apparently, she knew the dress that I wore to dinner the other night was the only one I had that still fit properly. She said I needed more if I wanted to court the crown prince properly. So, here I am." She gestured down her body and then added, "I suppose I should get used to wearing this kind of frilliness. Otherwise, our public outings will be awkward, because I won't be used to it."

Adam raised his brows in surprise and then laughed. He remembered when they were kids and Teela had decided she wanted to be a member of the Royal Guard. Almost immediately, she had stopped wearing dresses for the most part, and his mother had hated the sudden change in her wardrobe…and the fact that she had lost a shopping partner. She used to love getting Teela what she called the "cutest little dresses." He eyed her dress again. "_This dress definitely isn't cute_," he thought as he admired how it clung to her curves in certain places. "Cute" wasn't the right word at all. Shaking his head to clear it and realizing that his mind kept going to places it really shouldn't, he said, "I bet she couldn't wait to get you in that dress."

"She couldn't," she replied with a grin.

Then, he paused. What Teela had said earlier finally hit him. "Hey, wait a minute. What public outings?"

She rolled her eyes. "Didn't the king tell you? Well, I suppose those things don't cross men's minds when they're discussing the 's-word.'"

"The s-word?" he repeated, then shook his head. "Never mind, I get it. But no, Father didn't tell me."

She shrugged and explained, "Your parents are expecting us to court the way tradition dictates: buggies, horses, dances, public displays of no affection…"

Adam chuckled amusedly. He wasn't laughing at the fact that they had to do things the old-fashioned way; rather, he was laughing at Teela's description of it. "Public displays of no affection" was quite accurate in a lot of ways. For example, one of their very first outings, dictated by the codes of conduct, would be to ride on an open buggy with a chaperone, whose job it was to take them throughout Eternos for the people to see them (but officially the reason was so they could sightsee together) AND to not let them get inappropriate in any way. That meant no touching of any kind, among other things. Teela would be on one side of the cart facing outward and he would be on the other doing the same. Their backs would be turned to one another. Its purpose was so the couple could talk and get to know one another without…other things getting in the way. Of course, Teela and he already knew each other quite well, so this would be just for appearance's sake.

When he stopped laughing, he replied, "Oh, I'm so sorry to have to put you through this, Teela. I know the royal way of courting is antiquated, but…"

"It's something I have to do if I want to court the crown prince," she repeated Queen Marlena's words.

"And, hopefully, you do," Adam said as he took her into his arms, held his body a scant inch from hers, and stared lovingly into her eyes. As soon as she replied, "You know I do. I wouldn't have gone through all of this otherwise," he leaned down and kissed her deeply.

When they parted, he glanced at his chronometer and announced, "It's time for dinner." He suddenly bowed, then offered her his arm, and asked chivalrously, "Would my lady do me the honor of accompanying me to the dining room so we may dine together?"

She laughed. She obviously knew the formalities were intended to be a joke, considering their prior conversation. To play along, she curtseyed and bowed her head. "The honor would be mine, Your Highness."

As she took his arm, he grinned at her and led her out of his room but not before sticking his head out to make sure no one would see Teela exiting from his room. That was one message he had received loud and clear from his father: be discreet.

=)=)=)

Continuing to play the roles of courting aristocrats, Adam swept Teela into the dining room, held her chair out for her to sit down, and then bowed while kissing her hand. He then went to his seat and laughed at everyone's shocked expressions. They had never seen him do anything like that with Teela before. He exclaimed, "I thought you might enjoy that!" He held his hands up like he was confused as to why they didn't.

When they, in turn, looked confused at his comment, he explained, "Well, I hear that Teela and I are already expected to adhere to the rules of courtly love, so there it is!"

Marlena laughed as Randor sighed. "It's not something to make fun of, Adam," the king scolded. "The kingdom, and possibly the entire planet, will be watching the two of you soon. Any misstep or mistake will be talked about for years to come. It's not an appropriate thing to make jokes about."

Leave it to his father to kill the playful mood he was. "Great, I can't wait to get started," he mumbled sarcastically, but his father heard him.

"Wonderful," he stated, happily, "I was about to tell you that you two needed to set a date for your first public outing. I need to know when that will be, so I can begin to prepare what I'm going to tell the court about your relationship. It must be handled delicately, as you know there are many who had their eye on you, Adam."

He gaped at his father. Didn't he know sarcasm when he heard it? Evidently not, or the king chose to simply ignore that he was being sarcastic and this was a roundabout way of ordering him to get the process started. He swallowed roughly and looked over at Teela who was staring at him. She didn't look too happy about the news.

"Do we need to decide right now, Your Majesty?" she asked.

"Not necessarily. You can take a few days if you need to," the king answered, "And, of course, we need to find time to sit down together, as well. You and I need to discuss your active duties in the Guard, but I'm sure you are already aware of that."

When Teela slumped in her seat, Adam spoke quickly, "Uh, Teela and I will discuss everything later this afternoon. Let's just drop the subject for now." He knew her having to give up her positions in the Royal Guard would be a touchy subject for Teela, and he wanted to prolong her having to deal with it for as long as possible.

Randor gave Adam a confused look but his expression changed when he looked at Teela. "Oh," he said awkwardly, "yes, well, let's enjoy the rest of the meal with a little magic."

Orko flew from his seat beside Adam to the center of the table and replied, "Your wish is my command, Your Majesty!" Man-at-Arms and Cringer groaned audibly.

=)=)=)

After dinner, Adam escorted Teela through the corridors on their way back to the Royal Wing. They had yet to discuss where they were actually going. Truthfully, Adam didn't know if Teela wanted to spend time with him this evening after his father had laid a load of responsibilities on them. When they finally reached Teela's door, he stopped and asked, "Are you turning in for the night?"

She glanced at him and asked, "Are you coming in with me? I thought we were going to talk."

He sighed in relief. "Well, I didn't want to force any conversations on you if you really don't want to discuss them right now."

She immediately turned around and reached out to open her door, but Adam quickly grabbed the door handle before she did. "Allow me," he said and pushed the door open for her. He stood aside and as Teela stepped over the threshold. She took one look in the room and suddenly stopped. "I changed my mind!" she cried. She grabbed the door from his hand and slammed it shut. "Let's go to your room!" With no pomp and circumstance at all, she opened his door and practically ran inside.

He widened his eyes in shock as he watched her actions. He then looked around to make sure no one had seen her. Confirming that they were alone, he followed her inside, and once he reached his bed where she was sitting, Teela looked up at him with a faint rosy hue on her cheeks. "What was that all about?" he asked.

She looked down and shrugged. "My room wasn't…ready for company," she answered.

He sat beside her and asked, "What do you mean?" He asked because maids came into their rooms everyday to straighten them up, if needed.

She shook her head and looked fairly amused, but he could tell somehow that the expression was directed to herself. She looked up and explained, "My room has dresses and accessories strewn all over the place. I wanted to look nice…for you at dinner, so I tried a lot of things on in a short period of time."

He grinned as he realized she had worn the dress for him. He had assumed earlier that she had merely been wearing the last thing she had tried on at the behest of his mother. The queen had a habit of not letting people change back into their original outfits once she got them out of them and into something new. Now that he realized that wasn't the case, it made him love the outfit even more. She had picked this for him. He ran his eyes down her body again, and Teela watched him do it.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"I love it," he whispered, grabbing her hand as he sat beside her, "but I love anything you're in, really. Teela, you don't have to worry about looking like a courtier for me when we're alone. I find your uniform incredibly sexy, as well as anything else you have chosen to wear in the past, and I seriously doubt that's going to change."

Teela stared at him. She seemed very appreciative of his words and then they started leaning their faces towards one another very slowly. Eventually though, before their lips were anywhere near each other's, she pulled away and groaned. She stood up, walked a few feet away before she turned around, and said, "We better hurry and talk about those things the king brought up, because I am mighty close to pouncing all over you and picking up where we left off earlier."

At those words, he almost didn't care about those topics anymore. He could imagine Teela doing exactly what she said and he found his body reacting to the thought. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Where do you want to start?"

She sat in a nearby chair and replied, "Well, I guess I'll start where I'm more interested: what did you and your father talk about when I left the room earlier today?"

He immediately closed his eyes and said, "Maybe that's not the best topic to discuss right now." He was still trying to ease away his reaction to her earlier words.

"Why not?"

When he reopened his eyes, he saw that she looked thoroughly interested in whatever had happened. He ran a hand through his hair and knowing already that she wouldn't be swayed to another topic replied, "He was discussing us and the…importance of being careful, I guess you could say."

She stood up and walked back over to him. "Well, that doesn't sound too bad, so that doesn't explain your reluctance to talk about it. What aren't you telling me?"

He shook his head as he closed his eyes again and said, "Look in my drawer in the nightstand."

"What?"

"Just do it and you'll have your answer."

Slowly, Teela walked over to the nightstand and sat down on the bed beside it. He stood and watched as she pulled the drawer open. She reached in and picked up the box. She studied it until she realized abruptly what it was. She turned rapidly to face him and he shrugged.

"He gave me that," he explained. "That's how he wants us to be careful." He then lifted his hands and assured her, "Don't worry, I told him we didn't need them right now, because we decided to wait, but he wanted me to keep them anyway. I guess they're a 'just in case convenience.'"

She nodded and looked back down at the box in her hand. She tapped her nails on it slowly and asked curiously, "Have you ever put one on before?"

He swallowed and felt a heat rise over his body, and he wasn't entirely sure if it was from desire or embarrassment. "I had no reason to," he answered, slowly; "You know that."

She nodded again before sitting the box on top of the nightstand and squirmed a little. To Adam, it looked like she was rubbing her thighs together. He then watched as she licked her bottom lip a little and he fought the desire to run over there to do it for her. "_Down, boy_!" he thought as he forced himself to sit in the chair she had previously occupied.

They remained silent for several more moments before Teela cleared her throat, looked down to study his bedspread, and asked, "So, uh, our first outing…when do you want to do it?"

Glad to be brought to business since it might help his wandering mind, he answered, "It doesn't matter to me, really, but I suppose it should be after Father and you have your discussion. After all, there are going to be a lot of questions from people since you are a member of the Royal Guard, and we need to know how to answer them."

She nodded and, without looking at him, agreed, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

After coming to that agreement, they quieted down again and for several long moments, they just sat there because the tension in the room was overwhelming until finally Teela moved. He heard her mumble, "I can't stand this any longer." She walked over to the chair he was sitting in and tried to straddle his hips, but she couldn't because the bottom half of her dress was too constricting. Groaning in frustration, she backed up and reached behind her with both hands.

He heard what sounded like a zipper, and before he could say anything to stop her, the dress fell to the floor. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the vision before him. Teela stood there wearing nothing but a matching lavender bra and panties set.

Swallowing roughly, he watched as she walked towards him again. This time nothing stopped her from straddling his legs. She sat on him and looked deeply into his eyes. "I love you and I want you," she said with a husky voice.

And, he was immediately undone. In an instant, Adam wrapped his arms around her body and crushed her to him as his lips sought out hers desperately...and soon the kisses were also joined by caresses. He ran his hands down her bare waist, over her panties and onto her hips. He stroked them leisurely until he brought his hands to her front. This time, he ran his hands up her belly until he reached her chest. Stroking her over the flimsy material covering her breasts, Teela let out a moan as he moved his kisses to her neck and sucked gently behind her ear.

Wanting to explore Adam, too, Teela repeated the steps she had done earlier in the day: she unbuckled his belt, pushed his tunic from his shoulders, and pulled his t-shirt over his head. She stared at him approvingly for a moment as he continued to play with her body. She then smiled and leaned forward to kiss and suck at his throat as he had done to her earlier.

Responding to her actions, he moaned deeply. She felt him run both of his hands down her legs. Then, he suddenly grabbed her behind her knees and stood. She gasped and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hold on. With a simple "I love you" muttered, he walked to the bed and laid her down with his body following hers.


	10. Chapter 10

_Another warning: while this is still Rated T, it does get close to crossing that line. It's a delicate balance I find myself doing to make sure it stays at this rating, haha. Anyway, I won't say anymore, because I don't want to spoil you before you've even read it, but if you're under 16, just to be safe, don't read it!_

Teela's Visitor Chapter 10

All that registered was the love he felt at that moment and the pleasure of the physical contact between them. His hips were cradled by her thighs as she bent her knees in the air. He could tell she was doing this to hold him in that spot, so he wouldn't be able to slip his body off of hers and lay to the side as he had done before.

He met Teela's lips with his briefly before he moved down her neck and licked a trail to the spot under her ear. He also reached his right arm down and grabbed at her hip desperately to caress it as well as to stop her movement. Her lower body had been rising to meet his constantly, going in a rhythm that was purely instinctive and primal. It called to him to speed things up, to go further, and he knew it was something he had to fight…but his own body betrayed him. As soon as he ceased her movements, he found himself grinding against her and she gasped loudly.

Forcing himself to pull their lower bodies apart, he slipped farther down her body and made a straight line to her chest with kisses. Picking up where he left off earlier before they had been interrupted, he nuzzled her left breast softly with his mouth as his hand came up to caress the other. The only difference from the time before was that she was wearing a bra that came up higher than her pushed down uniform had at that time. Regardless, he didn't let that stop him. Instead, he nipped at her through the thin fabric and the moans Teela made as a result drove him wild.

"Adam, please," she whispered, reaching her left hand up and running it through his hair softly.

"Teela," he moaned in reply as he slipped his head even farther down as his other hand rose to her breast to pick up where his mouth had left off. He reached her belly button with his lips and took the time to kiss her there and to jab his tongue into the small hole in a rhythm that was surprisingly becoming familiar with each encounter between them. Soon, Adam found her hips matching that rhythm again as her thighs now cradled a portion of his rib cage. He moaned again and brought both hands down to her hips to caress them gently.

"Adam," she gasped as he licked his tongue in and around her belly button a few more times. It was at that moment that he heard her fumbling around with something above him, but he was too centered on what he was doing to find out exactly what she was up to. Then, the noise ceased and she reached down under his arms to pull him back up. He willingly allowed her to do so and helped her progress but made sure to kiss every bit of skin he could as he moved up. When he finally got to her face, he pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"I love you," he whispered earnestly.

She smiled, reached her right hand up to stroke his cheek, and replied, "And, I love you."

They kissed one more time as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders for a moment before she abruptly pulled her lips from his. When he met her gaze again, she whispered, "I'm ready, Adam."

"You're ready?" he questioned, feeling panic and desire rise within him simultaneously.

"Yes," she answered, bringing her knees back up to cradle his body. "I want you like I've never wanted anyone or anything in my life." She brought her right hand to his eyes and he noticed that she had a small packaged condom in it. He quickly glanced to his table and saw that the box had been ripped into.

"Teela?" he questioned, feeling more than a little shocked.

"I want you," she repeated. "Please, Adam."

Then, she moved into action. She forced the condom into one of his hands and then reached down with both of hers to push down on his fur-pants.

"Teela!" he exclaimed in surprise as he tried to pull back from her. Her arms immediately came up to his shoulders and pulled him back down to her.

"It's okay," she whispered. "We'll only do this if you want to."

He closed his eyes as Teela held him to her closely and began to suck on the side of his neck relentlessly. He groaned loudly and was suddenly shocked to feel that his fur-pants were moving down his legs. He lifted his body to look and saw that she had a hold of them with her toes and was pulling them from his body.

He met her gaze and she grinned. "I'm a woman of many talents," she boasted.

"So, I see," he replied as he rested his body on hers again. Now the only things that separated them were her underwear and his tights. He dropped his head to her right shoulder and held it there for several long moments as he breathed deeply.

"Adam?" she questioned. When he didn't reply, she ran her hands up and down his back and then moved the motion to his sides.

He moaned and then pulled back to look at her again. "Ancients, Teela, I want you so much. You almost make it impossible for me to stop myself."

"Almost?" she questioned.

He leaned down and kissed her chastely. When he stared into her eyes again, he whispered, "Teela, I…I want you more than you know, and nothing would make me happier than to share this with you now and for the rest of my life…but I can't do this with a clear conscience. There's something I need to tell you first."

She moved one hand to the back of his neck and the other to his cheek to watch him intently. "Tell me," she said softly.

He closed his eyes and when he reopened them, he explained remorsefully, "That's where the problem lies: I can't tell you. It's a secret I've had to keep from many people for quite a while. I promised never to reveal it…and it's killing me at this moment, I assure you." He ran his fingers over her mouth and felt his arousal grow. He then became even more excited when he heard Teela gasp. He knew now that he was out of his fur-pants she could…feel more than she had before. He continued, "I want you badly, but I don't want you to hate me when you find out my secret."

"Why would I hate you?" she questioned as she rubbed her thumb across his cheek bone.

He leaned down and kissed her passionately. Their tongues met and dueled until neither could breathe. When he pulled back and calmed himself, he answered, "You might hate me because you'll feel betrayed that I didn't confide in you. I want to assure you now that I want to, but my promise stops me. I am a man of my word, after all."

She nodded and then looked down to see where they were pressed together. She then looked up and asked, "If I promised I would remember this conversation and not get mad, would you change your mind?"

He laughed and hugged her tightly. "I would like nothing more than to take you up on that offer, but you still might feel betrayed." He pulled away slightly and ran the back of his fingers across her cheek as he stared into her eyes. "If we do this, you will have shared yourself completely with me. I already know who you are, but I would know so much more. It would be the most…personal encounter we will have ever had. But when you learn my secret, it might taint your memory of the event. You might feel as though I did not share all of myself with you. I couldn't bear that."

Teela closed her eyes and leaned her head back. He could tell she was upset and trying to hold back the tears, but the sight before him was just too much to ignore. He leaned down and began to suck and kiss her jaw line from one side to the other slowly.

She gasped and then lowered her head back down which stopped his efforts. She whispered softly, "This is torture."

He nodded sadly and began to pull away, but she quickly wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him back down to her. They both moaned at the friction this caused between their bodies. When their eyes met again, she quickly averted them.

He watched as her skin grew redder and he wondered what she was thinking. "Teela?" he questioned.

She kept her head facing in the opposite direction so she didn't have to look at him. She whispered softer than he had ever heard her before, "If we can't make love, can we at least continue to do this?"

Without thinking, he replied, "Of course."

She looked back at him and as they stared into one another's eyes, she began to slide her body up and down beneath him. His air suddenly caught in his throat as he truly noticed for the first time just how thin her underwear and his tights were. He could almost feel her heat as she rubbed against him, and he was sure she could feel him. As she continued her actions, he found himself matching her movements. Soon, moans and sounds of kissing filled the room, and he found himself powerless to stop. They weren't making love in the true sense of the phrase, but they were expressing themselves and feeling everything that came along with their actions. It had to be enough for now, and he hoped she wouldn't regret even this.

=)=)=)

Several hours later, Adam awoke to find Teela snuggled to his side as he held her tightly. She was sound asleep, and he thought she looked like a goddess. Her mesmerizing red hair was spread out on his pillow. It looked deliciously tousled, thanks to him running his fingers through it constantly. As he ran his eyes down her body, he saw that she was still only wearing her underwear, but now she had his blanket pulled up to her chest and his. It made her look so innocent and sweet—it was almost unbearable. Taking a deep breath, he fought the urge to lean over and kiss her. He didn't want to wake her up, because she would then go back to her room and he'd have to wait until morning to see her again.

At that thought, he looked over at the chronometer on his wall and saw that everyone would be heading off to bed soon. He glanced at his door and saw that it was unlocked. He gasped, and despite knowing that it would wake Teela, he jumped from the bed, crossed the room, and locked it. He knew at least Cringer would burst into the room soon if he didn't. At least this way, they'd have a warning that someone was outside the door wanting to see him.

He turned back around and saw Teela propping her back against his headboard, holding the blankets to her chest, and smirking at him. "Don't you think we should have locked that earlier?" she asked.

He smiled almost embarrassedly and replied, "Yes, but I was distracted." He made his way back to the bed and sat down hesitantly. "At least I realized it before someone actually walked in."

She nodded in agreement.

"Do you need anything? Can I get you something?" he then asked nervously.

She smiled and answered, "Only you. Lie down."

Obeying, he laid down as she threw his blankets back over him. She then placed her head on his shoulder and a hand on his chest as she settled in to relax. He wrapped an arm around her and looked down at the top of her head. It was the only thing he could see. "Teela?" he whispered questioningly after several moments of simply lying there.

"Yeah?"

He took a deep breath and asked softly, "Are we okay? I know what we did earlier was a big step, even if it wasn't THE big step. What we're doing now is even a big step. I just want to make sure you're not regretting anything."

She finally lifted her head to stare at him. She scooted up so that they were eye level and replied, "Of course, we're okay. I love you." She looked downward and continued, "But I will admit I feel a little shy now that you've seen me…that way. I'm the Captain of the Guard. I'm not supposed to be so…wanton and…" She couldn't think of what else to add.

He brought a finger to her chin and pushed upward to get her to look at him again. "You're amazing and perfect, captain or not. And, there's no reason to feel shy. You saw me the same way…and you're so beautiful and so enchanting in those moments. It makes me want to keep you here all night, so we can see one another that way again."

She grinned and with a chuckle asked, "What about Cringer?"

"What about him? He'll have to find his own playmate!" he exclaimed with a devilish grin.

She laughed loudly, slapped him on the chest, and cried, "Oh, Adam!"

He quickly leaned forward and pressed their lips together in a light kiss. They then relaxed in one another's arms once more.

When they finally heard a scratch at the door a few minutes later, Adam got up and cracked the door open. When he saw that it was only Cringer, he opened it, stuck his head out to see who else was around, and said quickly, "Hurry up and get in."

The tiger did as asked, and as Adam shut the door and locked it, Cringer asked complainingly, "Why did you have the door locked? You never…" He paused as he noticed the figure in the bed as he walked across the room. He stopped, raised his eyes farther right, and saw Teela smiling at him shyly.

"Hi, Cringer," she said softly. "He locked the door, because I'm here."

"Oh!" he exclaimed. He then quickly looked back at Adam.

The prince grinned at him a little, bent beside him, and asked as he rubbed him, "You won't tell anyone what you've seen tonight, will you?"

"O-of course not, Adam," he replied. He went to his normal spot beside Adam's bed and settled down.

Teela took that opportunity to slip out of bed. He stared at her body as she did this, and he felt himself getting hot again. He watched as she reached down for her dress on the floor and slipped it and her shoes back on. She then walked to him, turned around, pulled her hair aside, and asked, "Can you zip me back up?"

Without saying a word, Adam zipped her dress but made sure to have his hands brush against her skin every step of the way. Once he was finished, she turned around and looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Careful," she replied, huskily; "You might encourage me to stay and then we'd definitely get caught!"

Immediately, Adam grabbed her and brought his lips to hers. They kissed until both were left gasping and longing for more. As he closed his eyes to savor the moment and the feel of her body against his one last time that night, he heard her say, "Oh, I know we can't, but I do wish he would ask me to stay."

He rested his forehead on hers and replied softly, "You need not wish. I'll always want you to stay, even against my better judgment."

Before he could kiss her again, she pulled back and laughed. "Wow!" she exclaimed softly. "It's almost like you could read my mind." She kissed him lightly and said, "I better go!"

He watched her open the door, stick her head out to make sure the coast was clear, and then leave after shutting his door. He stood in the center of the room and stared at the spot where she had last stood.

"Adam?" questioned Cringer.

He could only shake his head in reply as he recalled the last words Teela and he had spoken to one another before she had left the room. He then shook himself out of his reverie. "No, it's not what you're thinking," he mumbled to himself. He laughed a little at his foolishness, and as he sat down on the bed, he felt the Sorceress' presence. He could tell she was checking up on him before she turned in for the night, but he could also tell she was reading his surface thoughts. He let her.

After a mental pause, he heard the Sorceress say, "_Oh, but it is_."


	11. Chapter 11

Teela's Visitor Chapter 11

Adam lay in bed and contemplated the news the Sorceress had given him earlier: he had gotten the insane idea that he had read Teela's mind before she had left the room, and it turned out he had been right. The thing that bothered him the most was the Sorceress' insistence that they get some sleep and that they would discuss the development in the morning. He supposed that was the smart thing to do. It had been a long day, but how in the world did she expect him to sleep after a bombshell like that?

He didn't even know how he had done it! And, why did the ability pop up so suddenly? He had been He-Man for a little over two years now, and it was hard to believe he hadn't stumbled on this ability before now. What had he done with Teela that he hadn't done before?

He immediately blushed at his own thought. "_It can't deal with that!_" he told himself quickly. He pulled his blankets over his head as he imagined the Sorceress telling him that pent-up desires and sexual tension had something to do with his breaking down the barriers in Teela's mind: he wanted her so his mind sought her out. He shook his head again. That was ridiculous. At least he hoped it was. He had enough embarrassment this week to last a lifetime, much less discovering a new ability that powered itself with his libido. That would be a nightmare!

He now found himself almost wishing he could go to sleep to get these thoughts out of his mind. He supposed the only way to get his current idea out of his mind was to find another that also made sense. What had he been doing at that moment when he heard her thoughts?

He thought back and remembered that he had been simply holding her and enjoying the feeling of her body pressed against his. He had wanted to savor it, to make the moment last. Maybe subconsciously he had wanted to get even closer, so his mind had intertwined with hers?

He shrugged at himself and sighed. He glanced down at the floor to Cringer. "_Maybe I can talk it out with him_," he told himself, but he quickly noticed his feline friend was already asleep and his feet were twitching constantly. He was obviously dreaming. "_I wonder what about_." He continued to look at Cringer and then he closed his eyes. He told himself he wanted to enter Cringer's mind. He wanted to see what he was seeing…

It didn't work.

He tried for almost five minutes before giving up. The only positive thing his actions had accomplished was that he was now tired. He rolled over in his bed, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.

=)=)=)

_Cringer hunched down and hid himself in the tall grass of the Fertile Plains. Every so often, he would lift his head just enough so his eyes could peer over the grass. He saw what he wanted to attack and his hind legs and tail twitched in anticipation. Ever so slowly, he took a step forward and tried to not make a sound. Every time he looked up to make sure his target was still there, it was. _

_When he got within several feet of it, Cringer brought his legs together and twitched as he waited for the perfect moment. Suddenly, he pounced and hoped for the best. The slight flutter of wings against his paws told him he had been unsuccessful. He watched as the butterfly flew away from him. He gave chase and just as the insect flew up into a tree, the tiger looked behind him._

_In the distance, Adam could tell that Cringer was surprised to see him. He obviously hadn't expected him to be there, but that was odd since they were together a lot. The prince looked around and recognized where he was, but oddly he realized he couldn't remember __**how**__ he had arrived. He was sitting against a tree, simply watching the scene unfold as a mere bystander…but now Cringer had abandoned his mission and was walking towards him._

_When they were within three feet of one another, Cringer said, "I thought you were going to stay at the pond. You promised me a big fish."_

_He furrowed his brow in confusion. He didn't remember making any promises or even being at the pond. He stared at the tiger for a moment hesitantly before asking, "Cringer, how did we get here?"_

_The tiger immediately began to shake at his question. "W-What do you mean?"_

"_I mean, I don't remember coming to the Fertile Plains. And, I certainly don't remember promising you a fish." He looked around again and asked, "How is that even possible? My favorite fishing hole is in the Evergreen Forest! Surely, you didn't walk all the way here, and I wouldn't have followed on foot…"_

_Cringer looked around worriedly and exclaimed, "Oh-oh-Adam!"_

"_Yeah?" he asked as he looked around at his surroundings again._

"_I…I—I don't remember how I got here either!"_

_Suddenly, the great cat sprung from his spot to jump into Adam's arms. As a result, they both fell._

=)=)=)

Adam awoke to find himself twisted in his blankets and falling to the floor with a large green and yellow tiger on top of him. He hit the ground with a sickening thud and groaned on impact. "Cringer!" he whined and pushed on his companion. "What are you doing?"

The tiger immediately hopped off of him and exclaimed, "I don't know how we got here, Adam!" He looked around the room and let out a startled yelp as he latched his front arms around his master's head. "I don't know how we got here, either!"

"Cringer!" the prince all but shouted. He pushed on the tiger's chest and worked a hand between his face and Cringer's leg to get his friend to let go.

Once he was free, Cringer asked hurriedly, "What are we gonna do? If we're just jumping from one place to another every so often, the next place might be Snake Mountain!"

He petted his pet comfortingly and replied, "I think you were dreaming, Old Buddy."

Cringer looked at him hopefully. "You think so? So, y-you weren't just with me in the Fertile Plains wondering how w-we got there when we were supposed to be in the Evergreen Forest?"

He looked at him oddly. "Did I promise you something in the dream?"

"Yes, a fish!"

"And, you were chasing a butterfly in the Fertile Plains."

Cringer whimpered and latched onto Adam's head again.

The prince sighed and said forcibly, "Cringer, would you cut it out? We were simply having the same dream."

The tiger let go and exclaimed, "But t-the last time we did that Darkdream had broken free! Do you think—"

He shook his head and answered before the question was even asked. "No, I think it has to do with me and the Sword of Power." He glanced over to his bookshelf where he had hidden the sword before Teela had shown up earlier. He turned back to his companion and whispered, "I think He-Man and Battlecat are about to get a new ability."

"Well, I don't think I'm gonna like this one, Adam," the tiger complained.

He nodded as he glanced out the window in the direction of Castle Grayskull. "Yeah, I don't know if I will, either."

=)=)=)

His opinion didn't improve in the morning.

Instead, he awoke to find Cringer gone and he had the unsettling idea that his pet had left during the night to get away from him and his roaming mind. And, his disposition didn't change as the day progressed. As soon as he stepped foot outside his bedroom, he found the palace…different. He wasn't sure how, but it was.

He walked towards the dining room, hoping he could put his uneasiness aside, but a voice interrupted his progress.

"Mmm, he sure is looking sexy this morning. I wonder what he'd do if I went over there and ran my hand over his fur."

He abruptly turned around and stared at Lady Amanda. She was a courtier he had flirted with for fun in the past…but they had never said anything like that to each other before. It had always been harmless fun…or so he had thought. "What?" he asked her with a raised brow.

Lady Amanda stopped in her tracks. "What?" She looked and sounded genuinely surprised.

He frowned and said unsurely, "I thought you just said something."

She shook her head. "No."

And, Adam was shocked to hear her voice and see that her lips were not moving.

"_I didn't speak out loud, did I? Oh, Ancients! No, of course, I didn't. He just imagined something. Easy, girl. Play it off._" She smiled and gave an obviously fake laugh. "Are you hearing things, Prince Adam?"

He swallowed roughly and whispered, "I suppose I am." He turned around quickly and continued walking to the dining room. "_No, this isn't happening_," he told himself. "_I'm imagining it. I don't want to hear Lady Amanda's thoughts, so why would I tune in to her? I'm just worrying so much that I think I'm doing it constantly. Yeah, that has to be it._"

He walked into the dining room with his parents and smiled. "Good morning, everyone," he stated abruptly as he noticed he was the last one to arrive again. As he walked to his seat, he heard a montage of thoughts:

"_He looks nervous. Is he worried that his parents know about what we did yesterday?_"

"_I wonder what's bothering that son of mine_."

"_Oh, no…is Skeletor up to his old tricks again? Adam should have come to me for help_."

"_Oh, I hope I don't mess up this trick. I've practiced it for three days straight._"

He immediately stopped and cried, "Uh, I just…uh, remembered something I have to do!" He turned around and ran from the room. He heard Teela call after him, but he didn't slow down. He jumped in the first Windraider he saw once he got outside and flew to Castle Grayskull.

=)=)=)

The more he thought about it, the more he hated the idea of being able to hear people's thoughts. Not only was it a violation of privacy, he was also learning things he simply did NOT want to know! He knew every time he saw Lady Amanda from now on, he would remember that she wants to grab him in some places that would make Teela want to kill her…

He shuddered at the thought. "_That would not be a pleasant sight_."

Then, at that moment, he felt the Sorceress' presence in his mind and he allowed her to know what he was thinking and feeling. By the time he landed the Windraider at Castle Grayskull, the drawbridge was already open.

The Sorceress stood in the center of her throne room. He hadn't stepped two feet into the room before she started speaking. "The answer is simple, Prince Adam. You want to know how to control your ability to touch the mind of others." She smiled a little as he stepped in front of her. "The truth is you already know how to do it." She patted his shoulder as she walked by to take her seat upon the throne.

"What?" he asked quickly. "I don't know how to control it. I was listening to people's thoughts today that I certainly didn't want to hear!"

She replied, "But you control it all the time." At the sight of Adam wrinkling his face, she continued, "You have done it far more than you realize. You just never associated it with an ability of your own. Now, you have finally recognized that it is coming from you." She paused for a moment and said, "Adam, do you remember the time that Nepthu captured and imprisoned me in the Temple of the Sun?"

"Of course," he answered. "He used the magic he found for evil, but what does that have to do with reading minds?"

She smiled. "I was weak, remember. I contacted you telepathically, but I couldn't hold on. You re-established contact with me. **You** were the one who contacted me at that time. Yes, I had problems responding, but I heard you loud and clear. This is an extension of the power you are just now discovering."

At Adam's look of disbelief, she gave another example. "How do you think She-Ra was able to contact you the time she had made that promise to Hordak not to break free? Remember, she has to call me using her sword and yet that day, she called out to you and you knew immediately what she wanted and where she was."

"That's because we're twins."

"No, that's why you're so attuned to her, but that's not how you received the message and interpreted it. You made it possible, Adam. You looked up at the star and wanted to know what it was trying to tell you. You connected with it."

He thought about it for a second and then asked, "So…you're saying I can speak to anyone with my mind like I do with you?"

She shook her head. "No, you can only speak to those who are close and dear to you, but you can listen to anyone if you so wish…but hear me, Prince Adam: there are dangers when listening, so my advice is to do it only when necessary and only with those you trust."

He nodded. He didn't know what else to do. He was…surprised.

"Just turn it on and off the way you would if you were speaking with me. It may take some practice to get used to doing it with others, but you will figure it out."

Adam nodded again and took a deep breath to steady himself. He glanced at her and because he didn't know what else to do, he mumbled, "Well, I guess I should be getting back to the palace. I left abruptly and—"

The Sorceress' next words stopped him cold. "Oh, before you go, Adam, I wanted you to know that I can see your future again, as well as Teela's."

=)=)=)

_I know, I know. Short chapter and no Teela/ Adam action, but this is important to my story and I thought it deserved a chapter to itself with no distractions. ;) I hope you enjoyed it despite that!_


	12. Chapter 12

_Okay, so I just posted a chapter last night so if you haven't, read that one first please! Hopefully, the rest of you will notice that a new chapter has been posted and you won't overlook it. In any case, I hope you enjoy this one!_

Teela's Visitor Chapter 12

He hadn't known how badly he had dreaded and longed for this moment until that very second. He was completely torn. Paradoxically, he felt elated and terrified to hear the Sorceress' next words. Would she reveal that Teela and he had a future together? Would Teela one day rule Eternia by his side? Or would she reveal that their futures had changed for the worst?

He stared at the Sorceress expectantly, waiting to hear her continue, but after a few more moments, he realized she had no intention of saying anything. He blinked several times in confusion and asked shakily, "Aren't you going to tell me what you've seen, Sorceress? Are our futures happy? Are we together? Are we…"

Before he could get another question out, she answered, "The glimpses I've seen show happiness and joy. I have gathered the distinct impression that you are happier in these visions than you were before."

He grinned. He had no doubt in his mind that the happiness she saw was due to Teela. She always had the power to make him happy and he was thrilled that things had not changed for the worst. "What do you see?" he asked, excitedly. "Are Teela and I married? Am I king yet in your vision?"

With a genuine look of remorse that instantly made him pause, she replied, "Remember what I told you when you discovered that I could no longer see your future? I told you that it is not good to know too much—it might inhibit you from making things better or it might even cause you to make things worse. Sometimes, trials and struggles bring about happiness, but if you're confident that the future will turn out all right, you might not go through the conditions that made that future possible. Therefore, the only thing I will tell you is that you are still the prince in my vision and you are very happy in _that moment_. I won't go beyond that."

He frowned. "So, what are you saying? That the future might be horrible but in that one particular moment I'm happy?"

"That is possible, but that's not what I meant exactly. What I'm trying to explain, Adam, is that even if I told you that your future is everything you ever wished for, that's no guarantee that it will happen. The future can change at any given moment, and I don't want my telling you the future to affect anything."

He immediately looked down at the ground and sighed. "Well, if you're not telling me, that must mean things are pretty good. If it were bad, you'd tell me so I could change it." He met her eyes pleadingly. "But there is one thing I want to know more than anything else and I'm sure you know what it is. I want to know if Teela and I are together. If that's not in the future that you see, I want to do whatever I can to make it happen. Can you at least answer that much?"

She shook her head. "I cannot."

He thought about trying to read her mind but quickly decided against it. That would be a violation of the trust they had for one another. If she thought it was best that he didn't know, he would have to accept that. And then, another possibility entered his mind. He grinned and asked excitedly, "Then, perhaps you can answer this: can I tell Teela that I'm He-Man now?"

His heart jumped into his throat when, without hesitation, the Sorceress gave him a nod and said, "You must do what you think is right, Adam. I know you want to progress your relationship with Teela, but be careful. Her initial reaction might not be what you want, but I'll be watching to see its results and we'll go from there."

=)=)=)

Man-at-Arms stood outside as he landed the Windraider. He could tell his mentor had been working on a nearby AttakTrak but had stopped when he had heard his approach. Instead of avoiding the elder's questioning gaze when he stepped his feet onto the ground, he met it steadily and walked over to him.

"Duncan," he greeted.

"Adam," he replied.

There was something in the way that his eyes twitched that told him Duncan had a million questions to ask. He bit his lip hesitantly as he wondered if he should tell him about his new power or should he demonstrate it. Feeling that Man-at-Arms wouldn't mind, he listened in.

"…_Now, he's just staring at me. I wish he would talk to me. Everyone is worried about him. It's not like Adam to run off like he did this morning without any cause, and if there were, he would usually tell me._

Adam smiled to soften the words he was about to say and replied aloud, "I would have told you, Man-at-Arms, but my parents were in the room. You know as well as I do that they can't know certain things and what happened this morning is one of them."

He watched in amusement as Duncan wrinkled his brow in confusion. He heard him think, "_What in the devil is he talking about_?"

Before the inventor could ask aloud, he said, "I'm talking about this morning. You just said internally that I usually tell you everything and that you wished I would talk to you. I'm just letting you know that I couldn't at that point in time."

He grinned as Man-at-Arms widened his eyes. Duncan suddenly stared at him unblinkingly and thought his next question: "_Are you doing what I think you're doing without the Sorceress' aid_?"

This would be the first time he would speak to someone besides the Sorceress with his telepathy. He wondered if he'd be able to do it with the first try. He took a deep breath and thought, "_Yes, I am…surprise!_"

Duncan widened his eyes immediately and Adam knew his attempt was successful. "What? How? How did this happen?"

He laughed and answered aloud, "It's a long story, but let's just say telepathy is one of He-Man's **and** Adam's capabilities and I didn't discover it until recently. That's why I ran out of the dining room this morning. I went to see the Sorceress."

Duncan shook his head in amazement and exclaimed, "By the Ancients!"

He nodded, leaned closer to Duncan, and whispered, "And, if you think that's something, wait until you hear what I was given permission to do." He told him telepathically and the soldier's eyes almost popped out of his head.

"By the Ancients!" replied Duncan again.

"Is that all you can say?" he asked jokingly.

When his mentor nodded, Adam laughed heartily. He felt such relief by being able to discuss these developments with someone. He hoped wholeheartedly that he would feel the same when he made his big confession to Teela and that she would be able to accept it calmly. He knew that might not happen, but he prayed for it nonetheless.

=)=)=)

He knew he had never known anyone as beautiful as her. Her red hair shined brilliantly in the sun and her soft, yet strong tanned body moved flawlessly in a deadly dance of self-defense. Her men and she were practicing the same routine she had shown them during their last training session, and Teela seemed very pleased with everyone as she ceased her movements to watch them continue.

As had happened the last time Teela had worked with her men, she had noticed him but instead of pausing and stumbling this time, she simply smiled at him every so often, and that at least gave him the comfort of knowing that she wasn't mad at him for running out of the dining room that morning. He had been worried about that. He knew he would have to explain it, but right now, the only thing he could worry about telling her was that he was He-Man. He was questioning whether he should tell her now or wait to do it in a more romantic atmosphere. He wanted to get the secret out as quickly as possible despite how much he feared her reaction. So many things could go wrong if he didn't do it in the right way. He worried about doing it during a romantic dinner, because he didn't want to give her the impression that he thought his being He-Man would be something that would…lead to romance. He didn't want to offend her in that way, so he wanted to stay clear of that, but he also recognized that this wasn't the kind of secret you simply blurted out after a workout session either. At that moment, he decided he would have to play it by ear. He would simply spend time in her presence and wait until a moment presented itself.

For several more minutes, he watched Teela critique her soldiers and give advice. When she finally dismissed them, he made his way over to her. Feeling as shy and hesitant as the first day they kissed, when he reached her he whispered, "Hey."

"Hey, you," she replied as she bent down to pick up her sword and shield.

When she straightened, he took them from her and said, "I'll take these to the storage room. You wait here."

He jogged to the room and put the items away. He was surprised when he felt a sudden hand brush against his side and slip around him from behind. He grinned and snapped playfully, "I thought I told you to stay outside, Captain! You disobeyed a direct order from your prince!"

He turned around to see Teela's non-repentant smile. She slipped her other arm around him, cocked her head to the side with attitude and spat, "And, just what are you going to do about it?"

He grinned wickedly and whispered as he leaned in to kiss her, "Oh, I don't know. How about this?" He quickly ran his hands down her legs, picked her up as she yelped in surprise, and placed her on a nearby counter. He then stepped between her dangling legs, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her to him tightly. Immediately in contrast to his prior actions, he slowed down and kissed her tenderly. He brushed his lips across hers lightly and increased the pressure only a fraction every so often, but as soon as she moved in to make more contact, he would pull away. They did this over and over again. When she finally groaned in frustration, he asked, "How do you like your punishment?"

"It's torture!" she cried and he finally pressed his lips fully against hers.

When they pulled apart a minute later, breathing erratically, Teela placed both of her hands on each side of his face to make him stare into her eyes as she stated, "I missed you this morning."

"And, I missed you," he replied as he ran his hands down her legs. He hesitated for a second. He knew why she had said that. She was questioning his actions during breakfast. Realizing there was no way she was going to drop this, he apologized. "I'm sorry I ran out of the dining room this morning. I had to meet with someone and it was very important."

"Oh, really," she replied with interest, dropping her hands, "with who?"

Deciding to be truthful so he could see where it would take them, he whispered, "The Sorceress of Grayskull."

She immediately pulled away. "Why would you meet with her?" she asked abruptly. It seemed like his answer had immediately killed her loving mood.

Seeing an opening to bring up the big subject, he wondered if he should take it. He then realized that no matter what excuse he gave, especially if he told the truth, it would lead to his secret, so he decided he would be blunt. After all, he had wanted her to know for years and he was tired of waiting. Besides, he didn't know if he could hold himself back now that he had permission. Not to mention, they needed to know how his telling her would affect their future. The Sorceress said she would be watching. Shuddering with nerves, he asked, "Remember when I told you we shouldn't make love until you learned my secret?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

He leaned forward to kiss her lightly before he whispered, "I asked her if it would be okay to tell you my secret."

She widened her eyes and stared at him in shock. "She was the one who made you keep this secret from everyone?"

He nodded and breathed deeply. "Yes, and she said I could tell you." He scratched his head and then mumbled, "I just don't know how to do it. I've never had to tell anyone before. The few who do know were told by the Sorceress or they discovered it on their own."

"You could just say it," she whispered, brushing her hand against his cheek and staring into his eyes lovingly.

He shook his head and chuckled nervously. "This isn't the kind of secret you just blurt out. I have to ease into it."

"Adam, you're scaring me," she stated worriedly.

He looked down at the floor and admitted, "There's no reason for _you_ to be scared, but I am."

"Why?"

He met her eyes again. "Because you might hate me for keeping this from you for so long. I don't want to lose you, and I know you're going to be angry."

She wrapped both of her arms around him comfortingly and pulled him to her as tightly as she could. "Look, Adam, you've been preparing me. I already know that you didn't choose to keep this from me. The Sorceress of Grayskull made you promise not to tell anyone. I know that you've wanted to tell me for a while...and look, you're telling me as soon as she gave the okay, so there's nothing to worry about. I know you want me to know, so I won't blame you."

He nodded and whispered, "Okay…okay." He pulled back and gazed into her eyes. "Before I say anything else, I just want to say that I love you and despite what you just told me, I'll understand if you're angry or need some space." He closed his eyes and breathed through his nose sharply. When he looked at her again, he began softly, "Teela, what I've wanted to tell you for so long is that...I'm…I'm…" He broke off. "Ancients, this is hard."

Teela grabbed his hand, brought it to her lips, and kissed it softly as she continued to stare into his eyes. "Just tell me."

Gathering up all the courage he could muster, he closed his eyes and said hurriedly, "I'm He-Man."

A silence developed and he slowly opened his eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

_Yes, I know…three nights in a row I've posted new chapters. What can I say? You guys talked me into it. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Yes, it's short, but I think it's good nonetheless. _

Teela's Visitor Chapter 13

The seconds ticked by without a sound, so he had no choice but to open his eyes to assess the situation. Slowly, he forced himself to look at her face, and he saw why a silence had filled the room. She didn't know how to feel yet. He watched various emotions flitter across her face. What he saw first was confusion; then, he saw a look of determination. But that look soon morphed into one of anger.

Their eyes met and he reached out to hold her. "Teela," he whispered. His heart broke as she placed a hand in the center of his chest so he couldn't move any closer. Fearful that he was about to lose everything he had ever wanted, he pleaded with her. "Teela, please say something."

She glared at him, hopped down from the counter, and spat sharply, "Adam, this is no time for you to be telling jokes! You said you had an important secret to share with me, but if it turns out you've been playing with me this whole time, so help me, I'll…"

He didn't want her to finish her thought. To stop her, he grabbed her hand and stated firmly, "I'm not fooling around! I'm actually quite serious!" When he saw her brows furrow even more, he cried out, "I am He-Man!" He let go of her hand and turned away quickly.

He was surprised. In all the scenarios he had ever played out in his mind when she finally learned his secret, it had always started with her yelling and questioning why he hadn't trusted her. He had never anticipated that he would have to convince her that he actually was He-Man! Looking back now, he realized that was really foolish of him, but he had believed that as soon as the words were spoken, she would see them as the truth. He thought naively that it would be like a switch flipping on somewhere inside her head. Obviously, he had simply wanted to believe that the big reveal would be that easy, because he knew the aftermath would be unbearable. He had wanted to believe that there would only be one problem to handle when he finally told her the truth, and as usual, reality had thrown him a curveball.

He had to convince her.

He ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly before he turned back around to say, "I know this seems unbelievable to you, but I'm not joking and I'm not making things up. Just think about it, Teela."

He watched all expression leave her face, so he stepped closer and hoped fervently that he was getting through to her. "I used to be skilled at fighting when we were kids, remember? We used to joust and play combat with one another all the time. Does it make sense that I would suddenly unlearn these things and become so helpless as I got older? Don't you see, I had a secret to protect and what better way to hide my identity as the supposed bravest man on the planet than to be the biggest coward on the planet!"

As she continued to stare at him, he offered more proof. "Ask yourself if you've ever seen He-Man and me together! Ask yourself when He-Man shows up! I'll tell you the answers to both: no, you haven't seen us together and He-Man shows up when Prince Adam disappears."

He opened his mouth to say more, but Teela lifted a hand and said simply, "Stop."

He ceased all movement and stared at her.

She blinked several times before whispering, "Are you serious?"

He nodded. "Yes."

She immediately looked down at the ground and questioned softly, almost to herself, "How can it be true? He-Man and you…you're two separate people. I've known you both for so long and you're so different. You don't look alike, you don't act alike, and you certainly don't fight alike."

He stepped closer to her and was relieved when she didn't move away. He lifted a hand to her face to get her to look up at him. When she did, he saw the tears glistening there. "Are you so sure about that? Look at me, Teela. Really look at me and think about He-Man." He stepped back so she could stare at him. He held his hands out for a moment and then he widened his eyes as a thought occurred to him. He reached behind him with his right hand and pulled out the Sword of Power.

Her eyes fastened on it. "That's He-Man's sword," she said with a sudden realization.

He nodded and added softly, "It's _my_ sword. It's what transforms me into He-Man."

He watched as she looked him up and down. When their eyes met again, she suddenly gasped. "It is you!" she cried.

He could do nothing but nod at her and put his sword back into its invisible sheathe as he watched the wonderment leave her eyes. As suspected the whole time, anger finally settled there again.

She glared at him once more and snapped, "Who else knows?"

"What?" he asked, suddenly feeling confused. He hadn't expected that question.

"You heard me, Adam! Who else knows your secret? Who else knows that you're He-Man?"

He swallowed roughly and answered truthfully. "Only a few people know: there's Cringer, of course—he's Battlecat." He couldn't help but smile as he saw her eyes widen at that one. He had always been of the opinion that out of all the secrets he knew of Castle Grayskull, that one was the most astonishing. He continued, "Obviously, the Sorceress knows." To forestall the answers that he knew would make her angry, he skipped those who would be the most important to her. "Adora also knows, and I suppose it won't be hard to figure out who she is, as well. And, of course, those who know her secret also know mine. There's Lighthope, Madame Razz, and Kowl."

When he paused, she questioned with a frown, "So, that's it? The only people on this planet who know are the Sorceress and Cringer?"

Looking down, he shook his head. "No, there are two more people. I just don't want you to get any angrier than you already are."

She narrowed her eyes. "Tell me."

Without preamble, he gave her the last two names softly: "Man-at-Arms and Orko."

He watched as she shook her head heatedly and began to pace back and forth. "I can't believe this!" she cried.

Desperate to calm her, he called out, "Teela, it's not their fault that they didn't tell you! They made a promise just like I did to never reveal my secret to anyone! We did it for the greater good of Eternia, and I understand why you're mad now, but I hope when you calm down, you'll realize that we did what we thought to be right."

He stopped speaking when he saw her turn to him abruptly. When he raised an eyebrow questioningly, she explained intensely, "I'm not mad that they didn't tell me your secret! I'm not even mad that they know…not really!"

"Then what is it?" he asked.

He took a step closer to her and saw the tears gathering in her eyes. They slipped down her cheeks slowly, and she whispered so softly that he barely heard her. "For years, people have berated you, called you a coward, and made jokes when you were late or overly tired." She wiped at her cheeks. "You've been alone, haven't you? You've borne everything everybody has ever thrown at you alone, and I can't believe that you walked away from that unscathed. What people said and thought…that had to hurt you. I know I've said some pretty hurtful things, as well as your own father." She shook her head. "And, the fact that my father knew and he didn't even help you…" She narrowed her eyes again.

"Teela, he did help me!" he interjected quickly. He suddenly realized where her thoughts were going and he didn't want there to be problems between Duncan and her.

She shook her head as her face reddened. "No! He may have helped you keep your secret, and he might have even been there to lend you an ear, but he didn't help! There are a million things he could have done to make things easier for you! He could have helped you come up with a better plan to hide your secret than making you become the cowardly prince! How could he just stand by and let you do that? Our job as members of the Guard is to protect the Royal Family and he just watched you hurt yourself, your reputation, and your family and friends!"

Desperate to stop this line of thought, he argued, "Teela, you've gotten this all wrong! I am the one who is responsible for how I covered my tracks. Circumstances and my own decisions made me act as Cowardly Prince Adam. You can't blame your father or anyone else for that besides me!"

She gritted her teeth and stomped her foot once. "YES, I CAN!" she yelled. Her tears started spilling more quickly. "He knew the consequences of your actions! He-Man showed up two or three years ago. You were still a kid, really. How could you have foreseen the extent of the consequences of that decision? But he was able to, and I dare say he did see them!"

"That's not true!"

She walked up to him rapidly and said softly, "Yes, it is. You're just so kindhearted and so trusting that you choose not to believe it. I love that about you, Adam. The Ancients know I do, but I want to hate all of them for not helping you! I'm angry…" She shook her head and looked away as her tears continued to fall. She got louder and spat, "I'm FURIOUS at the Sorceress and my father for making you do this alone! If they didn't want to help or couldn't help supposedly, they should have trusted me with your secret! After all, if they gave you permission to tell me this now, why couldn't you have told me then? I could have helped you! I certainly would have done more for you than they have!"

Not being able to stand and watch her pain any longer, he pulled Teela into his arms and held her as they both cried.

To say that he was shocked would be an understatement. He had never believed this would be her reaction. She wasn't mad at him! He smiled through his tears as he realized that she was mad at the world on his behalf. It was something to be thankful for and to fear. He was thankful that he had talked to her and prepared her to hear his secret beforehand—he knew that had helped her to see things as they truly were in his case, but he feared what her reaction would be the next time she saw her father or the Sorceress. He knew he would have to get her to let her resentment and anger go…but for the moment, he simply held her. For once, he felt like Cringer and he finally had someone who was determined to go through everything they would ever go through together and would never allow them to handle any aspect of it alone. That was more than he had ever hoped for.

=)=)=)

He was happier than he had been in a long time. Despite the fact that they were in a storage room simply holding one another, he couldn't remember a time when he had felt so sure and so positive that she loved him.

Him.

Not Cowardly Prince Adam.

Not He-Man.

But HIM.

She no longer saw the façade that he had so desperately tried to keep. He knew it would take her some time to get used to this "New Adam," but he had no doubt she would. And, because of her reaction to his secret, he didn't have a doubt in his mind that Teela and he had a future together. He didn't foolishly believe that everything would be easy—he knew they still had a lot of things to go through, namely undergoing an official courtship, handling her status as Captain of the Royal Guard, and giving her the time to get to know "the real him" better. He knew all of that, but now that Teela "knew all," he believed wholeheartedly that they would persevere.

Amusingly (or perhaps not), he knew their next big obstacle would be one he had never anticipated before today: in order for them to be together, he had to stop Teela from killing her parents. He grinned as he thought jokingly about explaining to the masses that despite her being a murderess, he could think of no one better to be the future Queen of Eternia. Yeah, that would go over well…

Pulling her tighter against him, he continued to hold her. He knew they would have to leave this storage room eventually. The rest of the day was out there for them to live through, but for the moment, he wanted to keep that pressure off of them.

He pulled back his head slightly and evidently she felt his movements because she did the same. When their eyes met, he couldn't control himself. Despite wanting to give her time to relearn who he really was, he had to say it. "I love you," he whispered.

She smiled and replied, "I love you, too, Prince Adam of Eternia." He watched as her smile then turned into a devilish grin as she whispered, "And, I love you, too, He-Man."


	14. Chapter 14

Teela's Visitor Chapter 14

"I want to know everything!" exclaimed Teela as she pulled slightly back from their embrace. "I want to know when and how you got the ability to turn into He-Man. I want to know how you learned to use your powers! I want to know who made the decision of who you could tell your secret to! I want to know…"

Adam interrupted her ramble by laughing heartily. To silence her, he squeezed her tightly and dragged her name out amusingly. It had the desired effect. She blushed at him, and he knew she realized she was getting a little carried away with her questioning. He smiled at her and stared deeply into her eyes. "I'll tell you everything you want to know and then some," he assured her, "but I will warn you that it will take some time. It's a long story with a lot of…complications."

"I don't doubt that," she replied softly, rubbing one of her hands up and down his back as they continued to hold one another. "We can handle one topic at a time. We have plenty of time to discuss everything. After all, isn't that what our courtship will be all about? We're supposed to get to know one another better. I just didn't realize that we'd actually have the need, but it turns out we do."

He nodded as he let go of her body, took her hands, and intertwined their fingers together. "Precisely," he agreed, "and I can't tell you how happy I am that you know now. I've wanted to tell you everything for so long—it's almost unbelievable that I finally have the opportunity. I'm so glad that you'll be able to get to know the real me and not fall in love with a shadow or an incomplete version of myself. You don't know how much of a relief that is."

She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him briefly on the lips. "You never had to worry about that in the first place," she whispered as she pulled away slowly.

"What do you mean?" He squinted his face a little to show his confusion.

She smiled and squeezed his right hand a little harder than she had been briefly. "Adam, I've loved you since we were kids. He-Man has only been around for the last couple of years, so the boy I knew and fell in love with when we were children was really you."

He smiled widely and asked, "You've loved me since we were kids?"

"Yes, and trust me, I spent many nights as a child wishing I was a princess or part of the aristocracy, so I would be the kind of girl you are supposed to have."

He frowned and lifted both of his hands to her face. He held her gently and said forcibly but tenderly, "Teela, never believe that you're inferior to any of those women in court. I've certainly never viewed you that way. I've loved you since we were kids, too, and when I thought of the future then and now, you were the only person I could ever imagine myself with. To hear that you worried over castes and our feudal system…it makes me hate that I'm a prince." When she widened her eyes a little, he leaned forward and kissed her gently. "I now realize we might have been a couple a long time ago if my birthright had been a little less royal."

She shrugged as he dropped his hands from her face. "That might be true but maybe not. I think I might have been worried if you were even a merchant's son." She sighed a little when he lifted a brow. "Adam, the truth is I really don't know my birthright. Yes, I know my birth father was a member of the Royal Guard, but any man of any stature can join the Guard…and my mother, well, I don't know anything about her at all. You know as well as I do that a lot of people—not just the aristocracy—look at class when deciding who to marry. Women who have questionable lineages usually don't end up with men of high nobility."

His frown intensified at her words. "My family has never cared about social classes, you know that. My father certainly didn't marry royalty, and my mother's background is as questionable as anyone's on this planet could get." He lifted his hand to brush his fingers across her cheek. "I wouldn't care if both of your parents were beggars on the street." He then placed his hand over her heart. "What comes from here is the only thing I care about, and when judging from that alone, you're a queen."

Instantly, Teela wrapped her arms around him again as she chuckled a little. "How in the world did we go from discussing you being He-Man to our places in society?"

He hugged her tightly and answered, "I've always known that you've longed to know who your mother is, and because of that, I'm sure certain anxieties have gone along with that desire over the years." He pulled back to look into her eyes. "You obviously needed and wanted to discuss our societal ranks—it was bothering you, so I'm glad we got it out in the open. Just know that I love you for who you are and I don't care about anything else." He grinned a little and asked, "Do you got that, Captain?"

She nodded and laughed a little more. "Yes, I do."

"Besides," he added happily, "my father is going to handle that aspect of things. If he deems you worthy, no one has a right to say anything and we already know thanks to what's currently in my dresser drawer, among other things, that he doesn't have a problem with 'us.'" He gestured with his finger back and forth between them.

At that, her smile widened and she laughed a little harder. "That's certainly true! I wonder what your admirers in court would think about the king giving you condoms so you could have sex with the Captain of the Guard!"

He immediately wrapped his arms around her and corrected, "You mean 'make love.'" Then, he leaned down slightly and kissed her. He moved his lips against hers softly, almost like he was giving her a massage with them. He then pulled her against him tightly and held her there as her hands travelled up and down his back leisurely.

When they pulled their lips apart, she smiled and looked down at the floor somewhat shyly before she met his gaze again. "Yes, that's what I meant," she whispered. "And, do you know what I just realized?"

He lifted his eyebrows questioningly.

A blush suddenly appeared on her cheeks and quickly spread across her face and down her neck. Continuing to whisper, she told him, "You've told me your secret now, so that means…nothing is holding us back now." He knew what she was referring to. She tried to look down to the concrete beneath them again, but he wouldn't let her.

He placed his fingers under her chin and said comfortingly, "That doesn't mean that we have to do anything, Teela. We'll make love when we both know the time is right. I know you might want to know more about He-Man before we go that far, and that's okay. I want our first time to be right for the both of us. I will do whatever you want to make sure everything is perfect for you…even if we have to wait until we're married."

She chuckled a little. "You sure are putting the cart before the horse, Adam," she teased. She slapped him on the chest playfully. "We haven't even had our first official date yet or announced to the public that we're courting. I haven't even had my meeting with your father to discuss my place in the Guard…" She shook her head and laughed again. "And, here you are, already talking marriage."

He shrugged and smiled at her unrepentantly. "You've already told me that you love me and that you've decided you want to be with me even if that means becoming the Princess of Eternia. There's only one way to do that, you know." He winked and then added, "Besides, I want you to know what my intentions are, so there will be no misunderstandings or debating with yourself. We've done enough of that as far as I'm concerned now that we know how long we've loved each other and that our insecurities and uncertainties kept us apart." He stared at her intently and stated, "I plan on marrying you, Teela. Like I said earlier, I've only ever imagined you as my wife, even when we were kids, so I want to do everything right and I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy, even if that means waiting until we're married to make love or telling everyone that I'm He-Man."

She grinned, lifted her head, and kissed him softly. "Well, I won't ask you to do either, I don't think, especially the latter. But, it does mean a lot that you'd be willing to if you thought it would make me happy."

Before he could respond, he was interrupted by someone clearing his throat. They both turned to see King Randor standing in the doorway.

Widening his eyes, Adam looked at him worriedly and asked, "How long have you been standing there?"

The king laughed at his son. "I just walked up. No reason to get jumpy, Adam. I didn't hear your conversation." He grinned amusedly and explained, "I just wanted to find Teela since I now have a spare moment. I thought it would be a good time to talk about her duties with the Guard. I heard voices coming from this room, so I assumed it might be you two since Teela's training session with some of the troops finished up not too long ago."

Before either of them could say anything, the king ordered, "Come along, Teela. We'll meet up with Adam at lunch in less than an hour."

Without any objections, Teela did as she was told but not before Adam grabbed her and kissed her chastely one more time.

=)=)=)

Adam walked into Man-at-Arms' workshop and saw his mentor tinkering with something he couldn't identify. "Working on something new?" he questioned.

Duncan immediately glanced over at him and set the item down. "No, it's part of the console for the AttakTrak I was working on earlier. Truthfully, I've been waiting for you to show back up."

He walked to his friend and asked, "How did you know I'd show back up before lunch? You might have been waiting for a long time."

"An educated guess," Duncan answered. "I know you left earlier to talk to Teela. I thought there might be news since the Sorceress said you could tell her everything." They stared at each other for a moment. "Did you? Did you tell her?"

He smiled brightly and nodded. "Yes, and Duncan, I would never have expected her reaction in a million years." At Duncan's questioning look, he continued, "She wasn't angry with me for not telling her before now. I pretty much prepared her to hear the news. I told her before today that I had a secret that I wanted very much to tell her but couldn't because of a promise I made. I'm so glad I did. She…" He paused. "Well, it's good news for me but not for everyone involved."

"What do you mean?"

He blew air out of his lungs slowly and explained. "The first thing she wanted to know after I convinced her that I was He-Man was who else knew." He watched as a look of understanding flashed across Man-at-Arms' face. "I…had to tell her. I don't want anymore secrets between us. When I told her about you and Orko…she lost it. There's no other way to explain it."

Duncan nodded. He seemed to have expected that reaction from his daughter. "Did you explain that we didn't have a choice either?" he asked. "That we were not permitted to tell her your secret either?"

"Yes, I did, but that's not what she was angry about. She's angry with you and the Sorceress for…" He stopped speaking again. He didn't know how in the world he was going to word it. Taking a deep breath, he simply told it the best way he knew how. "She's convinced that both of you didn't handle things with me properly. She thinks you didn't help as much as you could have with my secret." He shook his head. "Just so she doesn't blindside you, you should know one of her arguments is that you're a member of the Guard, so your job is to protect me. She said you simply watched me hurt myself, my reputation, and my family and friends, so you fell short. She thinks you should have helped me to come up with a better way to hide my secret from everyone. She is rather insistent that you must have seen the possible ramifications of my ruse and simply chose not to do anything about it."

Man-at-Arms turned his back on him.

"I told her she was mistaken and that you did help me," he assured him. "It might take a little while, but we'll convince her. I tried, but we got onto other subjects and then my father showed up to talk to her about her place in the Guard. I just wanted you to know just in case she corners you before I can speak with her again. You can come up with a decent argument to give her, because we both know she's going to talk to you about it eventually no matter what I say to her."

He watched as Duncan hung his head low and mumbled with his back still to him. "I don't know what argument I could give to that, Adam." He turned around. "She's right to a certain extent."

His jaw dropped open. "What?"

Man-at-Arms took off his helmet, set it on the table, and rubbed his face several times. "Look, son…" He paused and then sat on a nearby stool. He gestured for Adam to do the same. "I can argue why I couldn't tell her your secret without any problems whatsoever, but trying to convince her that I couldn't have helped you more and that I didn't see the problems with your cover story…well, that's a little more difficult. A lot more difficult, actually."

Adam was still flabbergasted. Blinking rapidly, he asked, "What are you saying?"

Duncan reached over and squeezed his knee. "I'm saying that…Adam, you know what happened the first time you turned into He-Man to help someone. You were with a group of people and had to run to change. You being scared and running away made sense, so when people said it, I didn't correct it. I simply said we should let you explain…but then you went along with it. I knew you would have problems when you made that choice, but I made another promise to the Sorceress that I never told you about."

He wrinkled his brow in question.

"You know you are constantly tested to see if you are worthy of the powers bestowed upon you. The Sorceress knew this would happen, so she wanted you to be able to come up with your own solutions and problem-solve. It's why she wanted you to figure out what your powers were on your own, as well. She told me to let you handle most of these things, so I did."

Adam placed his elbow on the table beside him and held his forehead with his hand as he leaned on it. "So…coming up with a way to protect my secret and handling other things like this was another test? I suppose I failed that one miserably or if I did pass, it wasn't by much."

"Not exactly," answered Duncan sadly as he avoided Adam's eyes by looking down at the table constantly. "It wasn't really a test from the Elders. The Sorceress had simply wanted to prepare you for the big responsibility you had suddenly received, so she made you responsible for those decisions. She wanted you to handle the consequences of your actions on your own whenever possible." Finally, he looked up at Adam. "Besides, you were eighteen when you received the Sword of Power. The things that occurred because of your cover story kept you grounded, in my opinion. You didn't let all of that power go to your head, because you had people…"

Adam interrupted him with a mumble. "Yeah, because I had people telling me how bad and disappointing I was constantly."

Duncan frowned. "I wasn't going to say that."

He shrugged, "But it's the truth." He stood and began to walk away.

"Adam!" Man-at-Arms stood up and went to his side quickly. He squeezed the prince's shoulder and said, "Look, Lad, I know things were hard on you and they still are at times, but…"

He shook his head. "I'm not mad at you, Duncan, or the Sorceress," he stated softly. "I understand why you did it. I just feel…disappointed? I don't know, but I think I have a right to feel that way."

Duncan nodded. "Yes, I suppose you do."

He nodded and began to ease himself away from Man-at-Arms as he continued to look at him. "Yeah, so I'm going to…uh, get ready for lunch. Oh, and I want to meet with Teela beforehand. Umm, I'm sure she will have news after meeting with my father." Without waiting for an answer, he turned around quickly and left the room. As soon as he shut the door, he leaned against it as a tear slipped down his cheek. He, then, wiped the incriminating evidence of his true feelings away hurriedly.

Unfortunately for him at that moment, Teela was walking by, probably on her way to look for him. She stared at him and gasped as she witnessed him wiping the tear away. "Adam?" she questioned. "What's wrong?"

He tried to smile at her. "Nothing," he answered. "I was just about to go look for you..."

He didn't get any further than that, because Teela snapped, "What did my father say to you? What happened?"

"Teela," Adam said with a shake of his head. "Nothing…"

She frowned and stated firmly, "No more secrets, Adam!" She didn't give him any time to respond. Instead, she spat, "Better yet, I'll find out from Father! He has a lot of explaining to do anyway!"

She stepped forward and reached her hand out to open the door to her father's workshop.

=)=)=)


	15. Chapter 15

_A new chapter was also posted a few days ago, so make sure you didn't miss that one before you read this one or you'll be lost! LOL Thanks!_

Teela's Visitor Chapter 15

His heart had lodged into his throat, because the last thing he wanted to deal with at that moment was a war between Teela and her father. Because his throat was so constricted by his emotions, he couldn't say anything to stop her. So, as she reached around him to open the door to Man-at-Arms' workshop, he slipped his arms around her tightly and hugged her. He then stepped forward several times as he dropped his head to her shoulder to make sure the door was out of reach.

"Adam!" she complained, but as he rested his head against her neck, she quieted, and he sighed in relief when he felt her wrap her arms around him in return. She rubbed his back comfortingly several times before she slipped a hand to his neck under his hair and massaged it lightly.

They stayed like that for several long moments, and he found himself smiling at the position he found himself in. The truth was he had spent a great portion of the morning hours in Teela's arms simply holding her, and he had managed to find his way back into them again. He realized with certainty that this was one of the few places he truly found peace and comfort; he wondered if he did the same for her. He wasn't sure, but his actions did silence her rather quickly.

He pulled his head back from her shoulder and chanced a small peek at her face. He didn't want his actions to give her permission to seek out her father again, and it didn't. Their eyes met as soon as he glanced at her and they became almost entranced by one another. He pulled back even farther slowly, and he felt Teela weave her fingers through his hair continuously at the nape of his neck.

"What's wrong, Adam?" she asked again softly. The look she gave him was one of a deep concern that tore at his heart. Her eyes shimmered brightly with sadness, and he knew the emotion was there simply because he felt that way. She didn't know what had upset him, but she was going to join him in that feeling, anyway.

He leaned his head downward and rested his forehead against hers. He felt truly grateful that she had decided to be his partner in every sense of the word, even though she hadn't actually said it aloud yet. But, it was implied by her actions and what little she did say. He tightened his hold on her as he lifted his head again to answer her. "I came to speak with Man-at-Arms about you learning my secret."

She didn't give any reaction—she simply continued to listen.

"I told him about…" He suddenly looked around and realized they were in the center of the hallway and that was no place for this particular conversation. "We can't discuss this here," he stated abruptly.

Teela stepped back and ran her eyes across his face, and her jaw tightened with determination. She leaned forward and tilted her head back in silent invitation.

Despite knowing that the hallway was no place for displays of affections between them either, he kissed her lightly anyway, and just as he closed his eyes and was about to slip his arms around her again, he suddenly found himself stumbling forward a little. She was no longer there.

He whipped around to see her storming into her father's workshop.

"Teela," he gasped and immediately followed her.

=)=)=)

"_I should have known she wouldn't play fair_," he chastised himself as ran inside the room. He knew Teela had deliberately offered him a kiss, so she could surprise him when she suddenly left. Her actions gave her just enough advantage to slip into the room without him stopping her. And, unfortunately for him, Man-at-Arms had seen both of them as soon as they stepped inside.

"Father!" said Teela as she quickly made her way to him. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at him.

"Teela!" Adam cried as he ran to her side, hoping desperately that he would be able to stop the diatribe that was about to begin.

She ignored him and continued to glare at her father. With knitted brows and a scowl on her face, she questioned angrily, "What did you say to Adam?"

Man-at-Arms clearly didn't have a clue as to what was going on. Adam knew without trying to read his mind that Duncan had initially believed this was about what they had discussed earlier—he thought Teela was there to berate him for not helping the prince hide his secret better. Her question had clearly stumped him.

"I don't know what you mean," said Duncan as he arched an eyebrow at her. "And, I certainly don't like your tone, my daughter, so let's just calm down and you can tell me what this is all about."

She continued to simply stand there and her expression did not change. Instead of doing what her father had suggested, she spoke slowly and firmly, "You did something that upset Adam. He was crying in the hall after he left you and…"

Adam immediately shook his head and interjected, "Teela, I wasn't crying! I wiped a single tear away! I would hardly call that crying!"

She looked at him and snapped, "Regardless of whether it was a single tear or a thousand, Adam, my father said something that caused it and I want to know what it was!" She turned back to her father and spat, "I now know Adam's secret and I'm not going to let **you** or the Sorceress hurt him anymore!"

"Teela, the Sorceress and I have never set out to hurt Adam," replied Duncan; "Everything we have done was to support Adam's development and…"

She interrupted him and cried, "Father, I know you wouldn't hurt Adam deliberately, but doing **NOTHING** when Adam is hurting is just as bad! Can't you see that?" She shook her head and continued, "Adam has been bashed constantly by those he cares about while he carried the weight of the entire planet on his shoulders, and you let it happen! I might have once thought our criticism was okay when I believed Adam was goofing off and He-Man was a magical being from Castle Grayskull, but now that I know who they really are, it's not even remotely okay! And, don't you dare say that Adam can handle it! Maybe he can, but just like he stepped into that hall to cry **ALONE **after whatever you told him today, I'm sure he's done similar acts in the past when his name was dragged through the mud! He shouldn't have to do that by himself! He never should have been allowed to! He should have never been put in that situation in the first place!"

Tears gathered in her eyes and a few slipped down her cheeks as her father remained quiet. "Don't you dare make light of this," she continued, "and don't you dare act like you didn't do anything wrong! I already know your past transgressions, but what did you do today to add onto it?" She stared at him for a moment and then widened her eyes with a look of realization when he still didn't utter a word. "You don't even know, do you?" she asked. She looked at Adam for a moment and then back at her father. "You don't even know!"

She shook her head, turned around to grab Adam's hand, and said, "Let's go." She began to pull him from the room and they could both hear Duncan saying both their names, but Teela simply increased her speed and lugged Adam into the hallway.

They started to walk away as soon as the door shut. Adam spoke her name softly just as the workshop door opened again. Duncan stepped into the hall and called out, "I do know, Teela."

She hesitated for only a second before she turned the corner, taking Adam with her.

=)=)=)

He followed Teela as she led him quickly through the hallways. At first he didn't know where they were going. It had almost seemed like she was pulling him to the dining room since it was time for lunch, but that didn't make sense considering what had just happened. With a few unexpected turns, though, he finally realized they were on their way to their bedchambers.

When they arrived, Teela didn't hesitate about which room to go into. She opened his door and ordered, "Get in."

He glanced around to make sure no one was around and then walked inside. She followed him and locked the door immediately. He watched her with a raised brow and when she noticed his expression, she mumbled, "I don't want to talk to Father or anyone else right now, just you."

She took his hand in hers again and pulled him to the bed. She placed herself in the center of it and stretched herself out. She patted the spot beside her and said softly, "Come here."

He did as she requested. He slipped into the bed, wrapped an arm around her comfortingly, and pulled her to him so she could rest her head on his shoulder as she curled her body against him. As she draped an arm across his chest, he took her hand in his, brought it to his lips, and kissed it gently.

After they rested their hands back on his chest, he questioned softly, "Are you okay?"

She laughed lightly and replied, "Of course, the question is 'Are you?'" She turned her head so her chin could rest on his shoulder and she could read his expression when he answered. Unfortunately for her, all he did was nod, so she rested her cheek on his shoulder again and asked, "What happened with my father today? I'm going to find out one way or another, so you might as well tell me."

He sighed. He knew she wouldn't give up until he told her, and as he had already told Man-at-Arms, he didn't want to keep anymore secrets from her anyway. He slowly began to rub his fingertips up and down her hand which was still lying across his chest and answered, "He told me your suspicions were right."

She immediately sat up and crossed her legs as she gave him her full attention. "Go on."

He shrugged. "He admitted exactly what you told me in the storage room earlier." He frowned and sat up himself. He swung his legs to the floor which turned his back to Teela. She quickly crawled to him and wrapped her arms around him from behind as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Which part?" she questioned.

He huffed in faux amusement and replied, "All of it. He knew from the beginning that pretending to be a coward would cause all of these problems for me, but he purposely said nothing. He said the Sorceress wanted me to learn how to handle things on my own and to deal with the consequences of my actions." He paused for a moment. "I suppose I've learned my lesson quite well."

Teela tightened her hold on him and turned her head to his neck. She worked her face around his hair and kissed him just under his ear. She then whispered, "I think that's a pretty crummy lesson. I think they should have been showing you the benefits of teamwork instead." She quieted as she rested her head back on his shoulder for a short moment. "I'm so sorry, Adam."

He placed his right arm over hers and wove his fingers around hers. "What are you sorry for?"

"For everything," she answered. "I'm sorry I was so mean to you when I thought you were slacking off on your responsibilities. I'm sorry that my father and the Sorceress made poor choices and hurt you in the process. I'm also sorry that you had to deal with everything alone and I didn't even notice."

He smiled weakly and mumbled, "It's not your fault."

She moved her lips to the place where his shoulder and neck met and kissed it softly. "Some of it is, and I want you to know what I told my father back there is true, Adam. I'm not going to let them or anyone else hurt you ever again."

He laughed a little in honest humor this time and asked, "What? Are you going to be He-Man's protector and bodyguard now?" He turned his head towards her, which made him rub his cheek across the crown of her head lightly.

"Yes," she mumbled as she took advantage of his actions by slipping her head even more under his chin and brushing her lips lightly across as much of his collarbone as she could get to, despite the fact that most of it was hidden under his shirt. Eventually though, she was able to pull him back far enough that she could slip her upper torso around him and kiss and lick the skin at the hollow of his throat.

In response to her actions, he found himself moaning softly and falling back on the bed completely without any real conscious thought on his part. Teela took advantage by leaning her body against his and working her kisses up his neck. When their lips met, neither wasted any time opening their mouths and letting the other do as they wished.

Eventually, they pulled their lips apart and both said "I love you" simultaneously. Each grinned, but before either one could say anything more, they heard a knock at the door. They looked over and simply stared at it. Soon, they heard Man-at-Arms' voice.

"Adam, Teela, I know you're in there. I want to finish talking to you. I don't want to leave things as they were when you left. Please, let's talk this out."

She turned her attention to Adam and shook her head. He understood what she meant: she had already told him when they walked into his room that she didn't want to talk to anyone but him for right now, so he remained quiet until Man-at-Arms eventually walked away.

Once he was sure her father had left, he sat up and said, "You know we're going to have to face him in the near future again." He sighed at his own words.

"I know," she replied, "and we will, but for now my only concern is you. Are you sure you're okay? I know it had to be hard to hear that my father let you suffer intentionally."

He looked at her and answered honestly. "I don't know if that's the way I'd phrase what he and the Sorceress did, but I'll admit their actions did hurt a little. That's why I had to wipe that tear away when you saw me earlier—it stung."

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly for a moment.

He looked at their hands and realized he didn't want to focus on all of that negativity. Yes, he had learned a few bad things today, but today was also the day Teela had learned the truth about him. That marked a major turn for the better in their relationship, and he didn't want anything to ruin that for them. So, instead of continuing with that discussion, he smiled at her and said, "Well, enough about that. I only want to focus on good things today. What do you say? Can we pick up where we left off **before** I went to see Man-at-Arms? We were happy about courting and getting to know one another better. Let's get back to that."

She smiled at him and responded, "That sounds good to me, and guess what, I have a bit of good news that will put us right back on track! That's actually why I was looking for you earlier when I saw you outside my father's lab."

"Great!" he replied enthusiastically. "What is it?"

She grabbed his hand and shared, "Your father is going to announce our courtship tomorrow." At Adam's widened eyes she added, "He and I agreed that it was the right time…if that's okay with you, that is."

He nodded joyously. "Of course that's okay with me! But…what about the Guard? What about you being captain?"

She continued to smile and stated, "As you know, when you sign up for the Royal Guard, you agree to so many years of service. I will still carry out my term, and I'll still be captain, at least until I move up the ranks, but…"

"But?"

She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. "But, my responsibilities have changed."

Worried that she might have given up a lot to be with him, he questioned, "How so?"

She shrugged. "I'll no longer be on the frontlines. I will still train our soldiers and do everything that I normally do around the palace, but when it comes to battle…I'll remain here and dictate what needs to be done via comlink. My lieutenant will take a more active role now—it'll be a promotion, of sorts, so that's good for him." She looked down at her hands and mumbled, "I think it's a decent compromise between me and your father."

He stared at her. He didn't like that she was now looking down and fiddling with her own hand. He was afraid it was a sign that she wasn't truly happy. He reached a hand out, grabbed her chin with his fingers gently, and forced her to look at him. "And, how do you feel about that?" he asked. "Is this what you really want?"

A look of surprise flittered across her face. "How can you even ask that, Adam? You know I want to be with you!"

He still had a hold of her chin and he held her there as he leaned forward to kiss her lips softly. He barely brushed his lips against hers in his attempt to be gentle. "I know, but I wasn't referring to us. I was referring to changing your duties. Will changing it in this way make you happy?"

Confidently, she nodded and answered resolutely, "Yes, this will allow us to be together, so it's what I want to do. I don't look at it as giving up anything. I look at it as gaining more time with you. After all, you're going to have your bodyguard around a lot more now." She winked at him.

He smiled and decided he wouldn't worry until she gave him reason to. He wasn't going to second guess her. "As long as you're sure," he whispered. "I don't want to be the cause of anything that makes you unhappy. We would find another way if you wanted to."

She shook her head and replied, "No, this is a good compromise, Adam. It's better than what I had hoped for actually, so I can live with it. And, like I said, I'm gaining so much more than I'm losing." She then stood and placed herself on his lap sideways. She kissed him forcibly, running her tongue across his lips before doing the same with his teeth. When they pulled away, she gave him a few softer, innocent kisses before asking, "So, I guess that means we can tell your father that it's okay to make the public announcement during court tomorrow, right?"

When he nodded, she leaned her head on his shoulder and questioned almost hesitantly, "How do you think everyone is going to react?"

He held her tightly and kissed her forehead. "I think our family and friends will be elated," he informed her.

"What about the courtiers?"

He pulled back a little and frowned slightly. He had come to realize with all of their recent talks that since they were children, Teela had compared herself to the courtiers and girls of nobility and had found herself wanting. He hated the thought. "Teela, I already told you not to worry about the courtiers," he whispered. "I don't care what they think or say. Yes, some are going to say awful things behind our backs. That's just the way it is when you're in the public eye the way I am. There's no pleasing everyone, and I don't mean to sound egotistical, but their comments will mainly spawn from their jealousy. There will be a lot of women who are going to wish that they were you tomorrow and a lot of men who are going to wish that they were me."

"I doubt that last part," she muttered.

He exclaimed almost angrily, "Why?" He stood and pulled Teela to a full body length mirror across the room. He stayed behind her and wrapped his arms around her. With his mouth at her ear, he said, "Look at yourself, Teela! You're a beautiful, sexy lady!" He rubbed his hands from her stomach to her hips. He kept them there and kissed her neck softly before meeting in her eyes through the mirror. "Not only are you the prettiest girl in the room during court, you're also the most intelligent, kindest, and giving woman there. I am far luckier than you are when it comes to this relationship, trust me. You're my one in five billion, Teela." He slipped his arms completely around her again. "And, no opinion of some smug courtier is going to change any of that. You're not inferior because they're nobility and you're not, so stop believing it." He then grinned mischievously and added, "Besides, you'll be nobility soon enough and then they'll be sucking up to you to be your best friend."

"Oh, Ancients," she said with a roll of her eyes as she chuckled a little. "Did you have to tell me that?"

Adam laughed a little and kissed her cheek. When their eyes met in the mirror again, the world seemed to fade away. Their smiles disintegrated and they simply gazed at one another. Eventually, Teela turned around in his arms slowly and wrapped her arms around his waist as he continued to hold her. She leaned forward and kissed the visible skin above his shirt. She lingered there for a moment with her lips before mumbling against his chest, "Make love to me, Adam." He gasped and closed his eyes as she nipped at his neck with her teeth and ran her hands up and down his back.

He moaned as her actions sent shots of pleasure throughout his body. He leaned his head back in ecstasy to allow her easier access to his neck, but despite this, his mind was going crazy with questions:

_Is she serious? Are we ready? Why does she want to make love now? Is it because she feels insecure or does she simply want to express our love? Does she really want me as badly as I want her?_

He brought his head down and stared deeply into her eyes as he brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. She looked so sure and so confident that this was what she wanted.

He made his decision and moved in to kiss her deeply.

=)=)=)

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_


	16. Chapter 16

_Believe it or not, this was a really hard chapter to write. As a matter of fact, I have two Chapter 16's written in their entirety, and both are different and take the story to certain places at different times. I debated about it for a while and decided to go with this version over the other since it seemed truly how Adam would handle things, IMO. Don't worry, the main things that happened in the other Chapter 16 will happen in the story eventually, so you're not missing out on anything, haha._

_In any case, I hope you enjoy. This chapter took a lot of time obviously even though it may not show, LOL._

Teela's Visitor Chapter 16

He wanted her. The Ancients knew how much he wanted her. And, at that moment, he knew there wasn't much to stop them. She wanted him, or at least she said she did. He knew there was no reason to doubt her. Teela had always been a person to state exactly what was on her mind…

And right now, she wanted to make love.

Kissing her deeply, his mind was already shooting him ideas of what they _could_ be doing instead of what they were doing. He moaned into her mouth a little as he imagined touching her bare skin in places that he had denied himself since they made their love, wants, and desires known to one another. The main thing that had stopped him at that time had been the fact that she didn't know his secret—he couldn't imagine taking advantage of her like that. To make love to one person and then discover he was someone else…that would have been a betrayal.

But she knew now.

Pulling his lips from hers, he stared into her eyes deeply. "Are you sure?" he asked, bringing a hand up to cup her cheek. "This is a pretty big step."

"Yes," she answered without hesitation or looking away from his intense stare.

Smiling, he pulled her into his arms again and held her tightly as he twisted their torsos together playfully. He kissed her forehead and then gazed into her eyes one more time. "Okay," he agreed softly. "We'll make love."

She grinned immediately and took his hand in hers, but as she started to tug him towards the bed, he said one word that stopped her cold. "But..."

"But?" she questioned worriedly.

He could see the fear in her eyes. She obviously had no idea what he was going to say. Maybe she thought he was going to request something atypical from her? He wasn't sure. He leaned down and kissed her gently to calm her. He brought both of his hands to her shoulders and rubbed up and down her arms comfortingly to tell her without words that everything would be okay.

"We'll make love _tonight_," he whispered, putting emphasis on his final word, and she immediately frowned.

"Adam!" she complained. He had expected as much. "Why do you keep putting this off? What's holding us back now?" Her face reddened as she questioned him—it looked like she was ten seconds away from one of her infamous Teela tirades.

Quickly, he grabbed and kissed her hand gently to postpone her reaction and answered, "Nothing, really. It's just that…well, it's the middle of the day and my father is expecting us for lunch. Undoubtedly with your meeting earlier, he is expecting us to tell him whether it is or isn't okay to announce our courtship." He shrugged. "I, for one, do not want my father interrupting us while we're making love for the first time if we don't show up. I want everything to be perfect, so that means not rushing through it to make sure we don't get caught." He blushed a little and added, "This is something I want to last. I'd also like to make this special for you: prepare a little…give you a little romance before we take that next step."

She laughed a little and replied, "Just being with you will make it special, Adam. Sharing ourselves for the first time with one another will be unbelievable in and of itself."

"And, I want to make it even better," he insisted; "And, again, with no parents interrupting!" He kissed her once more chastely and whispered, "The likelihood of that occurring at this time of day is great. Besides, waiting until tonight will give us plenty of time with one another to get used to the idea and talk about any insecurities we might have…It will also give us the opportunity to change our minds, if need be."

When a glare that was almost sinister appeared on her face, he held his hands up and clarified hurriedly, "I won't change my mind! I just meant you would have time to change _your_ mind if you decided you really didn't want to do this!"

At his frantic words, she blinked at him for a few seconds and then backed away with a nervous laugh. "Oh, Ancients, I can only imagine what you're thinking right now," she mumbled. She seemed a little embarrassed with the quick downturn of her eyes. "I'm being so pushy and forward, aren't I? That's not exactly ladylike behavior, especially in matters like this."

He immediately bent his head to catch her eyes. When he finally did, he stated firmly, "I'm glad that you're now comfortable enough with me that you're willing to tell me exactly what you want in this area. It's actually what I expected from you, Teela. When it comes to other subjects, you have always been bossy and vocal about what you want. Why should it be any different in this case?" He paused to rake his eyes down and up her body. Getting quieter, he whispered in her ear, "Besides, it's a _major turn-on_. You have no idea how badly I do want you right now, but I'm trying my best to maintain common sense and do right by you."

She gasped almost immediately. Undoubtedly, she was surprised at his words. This was the first time he had said anything provocative and blatantly ungentlemanly to her aside from stating that wanted her. He couldn't help his word choice, though—it was the truth, plain and simple.

To prove his point, he proceeded to kiss her and he wasn't gentle like he had been before. This time, he wanted her to know the fire she had ignited within him so she wouldn't doubt his words or the pull she had on him. He almost devoured her mouth with his and they moved their lips so frantically that they had to pant and fight to get any air into their lungs. As he started to get carried away and rake his hand down her body, he pulled himself away roughly.

"Do you see what you do to me?" he questioned with a purposely delicious guttural voice that was a bit raspy from desire.

She nodded with a smile suddenly erupting on her face and her green eyes shining at him brilliantly.

He grinned back and asked softly, "Okay, so lunch now, talk later, and make love tonight, right?" He put his arms around her again and waited for an answer.

"Sounds like a plan to me," she whispered, kissing him once more before grabbing his hand and pulling him to the door.

=)=)=)

He was glad he had gotten Teela to postpone their…joining until that night. He knew if she had held out and argued with him for just a little bit longer, he might have given in. What he had told her earlier was true, though. He did want to do right by her. He wanted to make sure she didn't want to make love at that very moment because she felt guilty about how she and everyone else had treated him for the last two years. He also wanted to make sure that she wouldn't feel guilty about not waiting for marriage. Not to mention, he wanted to make sure he wooed her properly and not have their first time be some frantic gathering of hormones.

He planned to bring up all these topics and more before sunset. He was determined to spend most of the day with her to make sure that this was what they both wanted.

He felt Teela bump his side a little as they walked towards the dining room together. "I can see the wheels turning," she teased. "What are you thinking about?"

"Us, of course," he answered softly. "I was thinking about what we would discuss after lunch, as well as what I would do to…" He coughed a little. "…prepare for tonight."

He was surprised when she let go of his hand but quickly calmed when she wrapped their arms together instead and leaned on him as they continued to walk. "So, you're planning on sweeping me off my feet, huh?"

"You got it," he replied cheerfully.

She chuckled as they stepped into the dining room without further comment. He was sure neither of them wanted to share their topic of conversation with the room's occupants, and that's exactly what would happen if they continued with their line of talk. He felt Teela tense beside him and he glanced at her as they approached the table.

She was casting a steely glare to the back of her father's head. Of course. She was still angry with her father despite the fact that they had managed to distract themselves from what Duncan and the Sorceress had done. With a sigh, he tried to lead Teela over to her usual seat beside Man-at-Arms, but she pushed heavily on him to stop him from going in that direction.

"Your side," he heard her mumble softly, so he walked her to his side of the table and watched and listened as Teela approached Orko who was floating in the air as usual. "Do you mind if I sit in your seat today?" she asked quietly. Orko rarely used his seat anyway, but he always hovered in that general area unless he was performing magic or zipping across the table to hand someone a dish they couldn't reach.

Orko seemed perplexed for a moment and then replied loudly, "Sure, Teela. You can have my seat, but why do you want it?"

He couldn't help but grin at the Trollan. He pulled him close to his side and whispered, "Remember, Teela and I are courting now, Little Buddy. She simply wants to sit by me today." He didn't think telling him that she didn't want to sit by her father would be wise.

"Oh, yeah, Prince Adam! I've been meaning to tell you something about that!" the jester exclaimed.

"What is it, Orko?"

After a brief pause, he shouted gleefully, "It's about time!" He began to clap spiritedly and another hand came out of his hat and started throwing confetti everywhere.

He gaped at his little friend, and Teela joined him in the action. "What?" they both gasped simultaneously.

Orko waved all of his hands, including the one in his hat, almost dismissively, like everyone knew what he was about to say. "You two have always liked each other. Everyone knows that." He floated to his seat next to Man-at-Arms.

Adam shook his head and laughed a little as he pulled out the chair for Teela. When she sat, he looked at his parents and said jokingly, "Well, if everyone knew, I sure wish someone would have told us."

"Figuring it out is half the fun, son," his father replied as his mother laughed.

Adam raised his brow and questioned, "You knew? I mean…you knew for a while?"

Randor smiled and winked. "I did have my suspicions when you turned thirteen, but your mother was certain. She first suspected it when you were five. You two had a play date together when you were that age and she swore after she gave Teela back to Man-at-Arms that you had already found your first little girlfriend."

Adam and Teela immediately blushed at the story. He turned to her and whispered, "Well, I'm sorry it took so long to tell you."

She placed her hand in his and replied, "Hey, it took me just as long to tell you, so no apologies. I think it happened exactly the way it was supposed to."

They grinned at one another for a moment before he turned his attention back to his parents. "So, what's for lunch?"

"Cringer wanted fish," the queen gestured towards the tiger in the corner of the room who looked mighty pleased with himself.

"Ah, so you're responsible for our choice today. Why am I not surprised?" he said to the cat. He reached his hand out and immediately Cringer got up, stretched out his limbs, and walked over lazily. The prince pushed back his chair and bent so he could scratch and pet the tiger a lot easier. He got near his ear and whispered, "And, where have you been? You sure have been making yourself scarce a lot."

The feline glanced over at Teela and whispered back, "I—I thought you two might want some time alone."

"Yeah, well, I have to talk to you about that sometime soon, before nightfall," he informed him. "It's important."

"Okay, Adam," Cringer replied as his master sat back up and he walked back to his cushion in the corner.

"What was that all about?" Teela asked shortly thereafter.

He leaned as closely as he could get to her and whispered in her ear as softly as possible. He definitely didn't want anyone else present to hear his words even though he knew Orko would be able to if he focused in on it. He watched the Trollan to gauge his reaction as he whispered, "I told him we needed to talk before sunset. I rather suspect you don't want Cringer in the room when we…you know."

"Oh!" she exclaimed pulling back. "You're…you're right!"

Everyone looked at them questioningly, and he merely shrugged as he continued to watch Orko. It didn't seem like he had heard his words, but he was almost tempted to listen to Orko's thoughts to make sure. He was hesitant, though, because Orko was a magician and he wasn't certain if that would enable him to feel his presence in his mind or not. If Orko did, it would be hard to explain the ability and why he did it in front of his parents, so he decided to trust his normal senses. With that out of the way, he then turned to his parents and explained away Teela's words by stating, "Teela and I discussed your desire to announce our courtship tomorrow. I told her that we should tell you now to get it over with."

She nodded in agreement.

"And, what is your decision?" the king asked.

He nodded. "Yes, you can go ahead and make the official announcement. Do you expect there to be any problems?"

Randor shook his head and said, "No, not really aside from disappointed kings and princesses. I know a few who had their eyes on you and were actually talking to me about setting up a meeting."

He widened his eyes. "Meeting? You mean, like a date?"

The king nodded.

He immediately shook his head and turned to Teela. "Let's thank the Ancients we got our heads on straight, because _that_ would have been embarrassing."

"That's the way most royalty do it, son," he heard his father say.

He grinned mischievously and motioned towards his mother with his head. "Not in this family," he stated proudly.

Randor laughed and agreed, "No, not in this family…BUT there are some things we're going to do the traditional way."

With a sigh, he noticed that his father had grown serious in that short period of time. Instead of smiling and laughing now, the king looked like he was poised to give a speech. His face held a blank expression and his voice had a stern edge to it that stated clearly that he would not be disobeyed. Adam knew it well.

"Yes, Father?" he asked warily.

"I expect Teela and you to adhere to the rules of courting," the king stated firmly.

"I already know this, Father. You've already told me," he said softly. "Teela and I have already discussed it—we're willing to follow tradition no matter how antiquated it is."

The king smiled and replied, "Well, good. So, now that I'm making the public announcement tomorrow, you need to have your first outing planned as well. The news will spread like wildfire and the people will want to catch a glimpse of you two together. Instead of them hanging around outside the palace, I'd rather…"

"Parade us out to them?" he questioned.

"That's not how I was going to word it, but yes."

He shook his head and glanced over at Teela. She didn't seem annoyed; instead, she seemed amused. "Do you have any idea what you want to do first or when?"

She shrugged and admitted, "I don't know all of our options. It's not like I'm royalty to know." She paused with a grin and then asked, "Is there a book somewhere that I can read?"

He could tell she was joking when she questioned if there was a book. Running his fingers through his hair, feeling slightly embarrassed, he nodded. "Actually, yes, there is."

"Oh!" she exclaimed with wide eyes. "Well, I don't need…that right now. Whatever you decide will be fine."

He nodded and looked at his father. "Not tomorrow but the day after. You will make your announcement and we'll show our faces in Eternos the next day." He glanced at Teela briefly and said, "We might as well get the chaperoned carriage ride out of the way."

The king nodded and informed them, "That's the one I would have suggested for your first outing, as well. I'll set everything up for you."

"Are you sure you don't want me to, Father? I feel like it should be me since it's for Teela and myself."

"Nonsense, setting up the outings is the king's job. After all, I'm supposed to be protecting my son's reputation, virtue, and things of that nature."

Heat immediately rose to his ears at the mention of "protecting his virtue." He knew his skin had to be blazing when he realized tonight would make the king's job pointless. Of course, his father probably already thought Teela and he had slept together, so the king already knew it was pointless. Still, they had to keep up pretences.

"Uh, y-yes," he stammered. "You can set it up."

At that moment, the servers came out with their food and drinks. Almost no one seemed to notice that Teela and Adam weren't talking to Man-at-Arms, but Adam could tell from the looks Duncan was giving them that he knew and it was bothering the soldier.

=)=)=)

As soon as lunch was finished, Adam and Teela excused themselves saying they had much to discuss before tomorrow and the following day. As soon as they left the room, they heard a chair scooting out behind them and Adam knew instantly that Man-at-Arms would be out there with them in a matter of moments.

Teela obviously thought the same thing, because she took his hand and said, "Come on. Let's go."

By the time they were a quarter of the hall away from the dining room, they heard footsteps and Duncan calling out to them. "Adam! Teela! Please wait up!"

He felt Teela tighten her hand around his and he stated calmly, "We're going to have to face this sooner or later. We might as well get it over with."

She glared at him for a second and then pivoted abruptly to face her father. "I'm not going to let you ruin this day for us!" she spat as Duncan finished walking up to them. "Just say what you want to say so we can leave!"

"Sweetheart, please, I'm sorry…" Man-at-Arms began.

She widened her eyes and her skin turned almost bloodshot red. "**You** shouldn't be begging and apologizing to **me**! You should be speaking to **him**!" she shouted as she pointed to Adam.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she continued to glare at her father and shushed her. "Shhh, Teela. We're in the middle of the hallway. We don't want to cause a scene."

"And, why not?" she asked abruptly. "He's practically been the one responsible for your embarrassment for the last two years, maybe he'd love to have the favor returned." She looked back at Duncan. "What do you say, Father? That sounds pretty reasonable to me!"

"It does sound fair, but let's not do it in this way, my daughter," he beseeched.

"And, again I ask, 'Why not?'"

At that moment, Adam kissed her on her temple and mumbled, "Because this concerns my secret and I don't want you to out me in the middle of the palace. That will have dire consequences, I'm afraid."

Suddenly looking at him worriedly, she gasped and said, "Oh, Adam! I'm so sorry! Here I am trying to help you and I'm about to make things worse."

"It's all right," he whispered as he pulled her into his arms. "Just calm down and we'll find some place where we can talk about this calmly and rationally."

"May I suggest my workshop?" Duncan suggested as he gestured with his hands down the hall. "It's soundproof when I have the door shut."

"That's fine," he replied as he pulled Teela along and they followed Man-at-Arms. As soon as they walked into the room, she pulled away from him, crossed her arms against her chest, and demanded, "Tell us what you have to say."

"Teela," he began but stopped when she glared at him almost irately. He shifted eyes to Adam hurriedly and said, "Adam, I am truly sorry. I'm not saying that because Teela's angry with me. The truth is I have felt horrible since this all began, but…like you, I've had to follow the Sorceress' orders."

A gasp was heard and both men turned to Teela. She looked like she was finally realizing something for the first time and she exclaimed, "Of course, this is more **her** fault than yours! Oh, I can't wait to see and tell her exactly what I think of her and her orders! She…"

"Teela," Duncan started again.

She turned to him and spat, "But don't think that means I'm letting you off the hook! You should have known better than to agree to it! You took an oath to protect the Royal Family and I know you must have made that promise before any that you had given her. The Sorceress is NOT more important than Adam. I don't care who she is! She didn't have the right to dictate Adam's life in such a way and you…"

"We did what we thought would protect Adam more in the long run," interjected Man-at-Arms. "And, Teela, Adam is not the only one who has suffered over the years. The Sorceress has given up far more than you know…she sits in that castle alone with no family around her, so she can help He-Man protect the planet. She does what she thinks is right. She's proven that."

She paused for a moment. Adam could see the pity in her eyes, but she quickly recovered herself and stated, "If she's given up so much, then she shouldn't have asked Adam to give up so much! If she cared about him, she would have done what she could to prevent that pain! She would have found another way!"

"Sometimes doing what's best for the ones you love is painful to you and them," responded Man-at-Arms softly. He said it so sadly that Teela paused.

She looked at Adam questioningly and then walked up to her father. "I'm sorry that the Sorceress has had it so rough, but there's nothing we can do about that, I suspect. But we _can_ do something about Adam. You and the Sorceress need to come up with a better way to hide Adam's secret. I've told you once and I'll say it again. I'm not going to stand idly by like you and watch him continue to hurt himself in this manner. You two put him in this situation, so you can come up with a way to fix it."

When Man-at-Arms nodded, she replied with an edge still to her voice, "Good. Well, Adam and I need to go discuss some things to prepare for…tomorrow and our debut in public. We'll let you figure things out and we'll talk about them later when you and the Sorceress have come up with something."

As Teela pulled on Adam and they started to step out of the room, they paused when they heard Man-at-Arms say, "Despite everything, I'm very pleased and proud that you two have finally found one another. I look forward to the announcement tomorrow to make it official."

They nodded at him briefly and without any more discussion, Teela walked out of the room. Adam mumbled a thanks, stepped out, and shut the door behind him. "Well, that went better than anticipated in some ways," he noted as they walked down the hall.

She huffed and said softly but playfully, "Part of it is because I wanted to hurry and get you alone, Your Highness, to discuss tomorrow, our outing, and _tonight_." She said the final word seductively and he couldn't help but grin at her as they made their way through the halls. Other people were in the corridors at that moment, and while it wasn't uncommon to see them together, he knew he couldn't take her into his arms like he wanted to until they got back in his bedchambers unobserved.

He couldn't wait…for that or tonight. Nerves were starting to creep their way into his consciousness, but he knew that was to be expected. Instead of focusing on them, though, he mentally began to prepare what he needed to say and do before they finally made love.

=)=)=)

_Hope you enjoyed!_


	17. Chapter 17

Teela's Visitor Chapter 17

The walk back to their bedchambers was made in silence after Teela had told him she wanted to be alone to talk about tonight and the following days. He was trying very hard to focus on what he was going to say to her and how he was going to prepare for the evening, but his mind wouldn't cooperate. Instead, he felt as if he were turning into a massive ball of nerves despite how confidently he had spoken to Teela about all of this earlier.

It truly was a big step for the both of them. He was twenty, and she was twenty-one. Despite all of the expectations and flirtations of others throughout their lives, they had both managed to remain celibate into their adulthood years. He knew a lot of guys would laugh at him if they knew that fact with any certainty, and he also knew they would view Teela as a mere conquest to obtain. In fact, he knew some men already viewed her that way since she rarely dated, but she never gave any of them the time of day.

That made him think about himself. "_What's so special about me_?" he asked silently. It was truly amazing that someone as beautiful, intelligent, and compassionate as Teela had managed to save herself for so long and actually wanted to give that up and…be with _him_. He truly didn't understand it, and that's why he was glad they had time to discuss everything beforehand. He wanted to make sure this was what they wanted and that they were doing it for all the right reasons. He didn't want either one of them to regret it because they had simply let their hormones overrule their common sense…

When they finally turned onto the corridor that contained their rooms, he felt Teela slip her hand into his. "Do you want to come to my room? We haven't been there in a while."

"Sure," he answered. Soon, he opened her door and motioned with his hand for her to go inside first. As usual, he gave a cursory glance throughout the corridor to make sure he was unobserved going into her bedchamber. Once he was inside, he shut the door and locked it. Thanks to the constant interruptions, locks and he had become best friends. He grinned at the thought.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked as she sat on a couch across the room and observed him from afar.

"Oh, nothing. I was just amused that I'm now in the habit of locking doors."

She laughed a little and said, "Yes, well, our parents have taught us that lesson rather well recently, haven't they?"

He nodded and slowly made his way over to the couch to join her. He sat beside her and agreed, "Yes, they have, and it was good to learn it then and not later."

"Most definitely."

They drifted into silence for a moment before she stated, "So, you said earlier that you wanted to talk…" She let the statement hang in the air like it was some kind of obligation he had promised to her, and actually it was.

He took a deep breath and replied, "Yes, I think we should talk about tonight and our future. We need to…make sure we're on the same page with everything and that we're sure about our recent decisions. I'd like to talk about any worries or insecurities about tonight, tomorrow, and our public outing. I want to talk about whatever is on your mind and I want to share what's on mine."

She smiled as she brought her left leg up onto the couch and shifted to face him. He turned to face her, as well. "Okay," she whispered slowly. "We can do that. You first."

He chuckled nervously and complained, "I had a feeling you were going to say that."

"You know me well." She smiled innocently and fluttered her eyes at him playfully.

He couldn't scowl at her if he tried. He grinned for a few moments before he took a deep breath and decided on his first topic. "I guess we should discuss the bigger issue first: tonight."

She simply nodded.

Adam reached out, took her hand in his, and intertwined their fingers. "I'm just going to be honest here, Teela. I love you and I already know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I've known that for years. I have also wanted to make love to you for a very long time…" He paused as he watched her suddenly grin at him. She opened her mouth to reply, but he quickly brought a finger to her lips. "Please, let me finish, so I don't get sidetracked or forget anything." When she nodded, he continued, "I am a man, so you must believe me when I say it has been very difficult not to take things further than we have…especially when you show me that you have those same desires. It's like a dream. But because I love you, I don't want to see us make a mistake."

"Why would expressing our love be a mistake?" she whispered.

He sighed, thinking about his earlier thoughts. "We've both managed to avoid temptations our entire lives. I know you've had propositions just like I have, and yet, we didn't do it. I don't know your reasons for sure, but for me, it was a combination of things. First, I knew since I was very young that I wanted to be with you, so I couldn't imagine myself being with anyone else. Have girls tempted me? Yes…but believe me, none have tempted me the way you have." He grinned as she blushed. "Also, I've been raised to wait for marriage."

He watched as Teela held his gaze unblinkingly. He wasn't sure but she looked a little worried. He almost reached into her mind to find out why instinctively, but he stopped himself. He wanted this to be a conversation. He didn't want to take her thoughts without her permission. Instead, he continued what he had to say and studied her eyes for her reactions.

"Despite my mother and father giving me condoms, they would very much prefer that I wait for marriage, but they aren't naïve, especially since…" He drifted off. He squeezed her hand and whispered, "You have to promise you won't tell anyone what I'm about to say."

She raised an eyebrow in surprise and then whispered, "I promise."

He looked at the door conspiratorially, almost as if he suspected that someone was on the other side, trying to listen. Then, he met her eyes again and said softly, "Mother and Father didn't wait until marriage."

She gasped.

He shook his head. "Yeah, I know, and I believe me, I didn't want that information, but Father shared it nonetheless. My point is they know the temptations, so they wanted us to be prepared if we do make that decision. That's why they gave me the condoms." He looked down at his lap for a moment. "Making love is a huge deal, Teela. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that. I've been raised to believe that giving your spouse your…well, **you**, to put it bluntly, is a gift and that gift always belonged to him or her before you even met. Your wedding night is supposed to be special for that very reason—you saved yourself for the other, and in a world where so many people have given into the temptation with random people they were not destined to be with…that's a pretty big deal."

He felt Teela tighten her hand around his. She held her other hand to his cheek and said hurriedly, "Adam, if you feel this way, we don't have to make love. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to pressure you."

He chuckled and shook his head. He grabbed the hand against his cheek and held it in place as he turned his lips to her palm, nuzzled it gently, and kissed it. At her gasp, he informed her, "I'm not saying I don't want to make love. What I'm saying is that I want to be sure of what we both want for the future. I plan on marrying you one day, Teela, so if we make love tonight, technically, we won't be doing anything wrong because I belong to you already…but that's only if you feel the same way and have that same level of commitment."

She gasped again. "Adam, are you asking me to marry you?"

He widened his eyes and then laughed loudly. "I suppose I am, but not in the official sense. There is no way the people or my parents would let us get away with such an early engagement. There are protocols and steps to follow with our courtship before I can officially ask you…but I do want to know what your intentions are. Do you want to marry me? Do you see us having a future together?" He paused. "Do you feel that you belong to me?" He shook his head. "I know that sounds archaic, but you know what I mean."

She nodded and felt tears gathering in her eyes.

"Teela?" he questioned worriedly.

Leaning in, she kissed his lips softly and as she pulled away, she replied, "Adam, I've given up going to battle to be with you. I'm wearing dresses again and I'm willingly following the rules of courtship to be with you." She brushed her fingers across his cheek softly. "I do feel as though I belong to you, and of course, I want to marry you. I know I haven't said that as bluntly as you have over the last couple of days, but surely, you knew."

He hugged her to him and whispered in her ear. "Yes, I did, but I needed to hear you say it."

They held each other for several long minutes before Teela asked, "Is there anything else to discuss on this topic?"

He pulled back and nodded. "If we do make love, we'll need to be very discreet. The people expect their prince and future princess to be pure until marriage. Everyone knows the opposite happens most of the time, but the appearance needs to be there." When she nodded her agreement, he bit his lip for a moment and then said, "There's something else I need to know before we take this step."

She arched her eyebrow and asked, "What is it?"

He looked down at his lap and asked softly, "Why me? Why, out of all the guys on this planet, do you want to share yourself and be with me? I'm…nothing special aside from my being a prince." He paused. "And, well, being He-Man. But when you take those facts away, I'm just a normal guy, no different from the rest, so why? You've saved yourself for so long. Why do you want to be with me?"

Immediately, she stood in front of him for a moment and then straddled his legs as she sat down on his lap. He smiled at her briefly and placed his hands on her bare hips, but she didn't let him say anything. Instead, she said quickly, "Adam, I love you. That's why I want to be with you. That's why I want to make love with you. You are so much more than a prince or even He-Man." She kissed him softly once more before continuing. "There is no one on this planet that has a bigger heart than you. I have no doubt in my mind that's why you were chosen to be He-Man. You see the good in everyone and you care about everyone. You go out of your way to be kind to people, more so than your father, who is extraordinarily gifted in that department. You strive to help everyone in any way that you can. You value life in the noblest way—you don't want to see anyone, good or evil, killed. You're always willing to give a person a second chance to mend their ways. You're always willing to listen. You're compassionate. You're funny and extremely intelligent. You are…simply everything I want in a man. Do I need to go on?"

They stared at each other for several long moments. Adam wanted her so very badly at that moment that he knew he had to distract himself. Humor was the best option.

"You can," he answered with a devious grin. "After all, I don't have my horn tooted often enough." He laughed after stating those words but stopped when he noticed she didn't join in. "Teela?"

Tears illuminated her eyes and she cried, "No, you don't, and I'm so sorry for that!"

He quickly shook his head and exclaimed, "I was just playing! I don't need anyone to brag on me! I have never wanted that!"

"Another reason why you're so amazing," she whispered, looking deeply into his eyes, as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

He immediately brought a hand up and wiped the tears away from her skin softly. He stared at her intently and mumbled, "Please don't cry, Teela. I can't stand it."

She composed herself as best as she could and whispered, "Sorry."

After a few more moments, he decided to get them back on track and asked softly, "So, why have you saved yourself for so long?"

She blushed and grinned a little. Averting her eyes to the wall behind him, she answered, "My father taught me to wait for marriage, too, but that's not the reason. Not really. I just wanted it to happen with the right guy, and for quite some time, I thought that person was you. I was just too afraid to tell you, because I feared you wouldn't love or want me like I do you." He opened his mouth to assure her of his feelings, but she quickly took advantage of his response by kissing him and exploring his mouth with her tongue extensively. When they finally pulled their lips apart, she stated lovingly, "I'm so glad that you do."

He grinned, brought his lips to her neck, and licked and nipped at the skin just below her ear. She moaned and held onto him tightly. "I want you so badly," she whispered.

He stroked her hips softly and asked, "So, you have no doubts in your mind that I'm the one?"

"None."

He raked his hands up her waist and back to her hips several times and continued to ask questions. "What about tonight? Do you have any fears?"

She looked to the couch for a moment before he brought a hand to her chin and made her look at him again. "Maybe a few," she admitted.

"Tell me," he told her firmly.

She swallowed noticeably and shared, "I'm nervous about the actual act."

He nodded. He was afraid of that, too.

"I don't really know what I'm doing. What if I don't please you? What if I lose your interest once you get me? What if it…hurts?" She tried to look away, but he wouldn't let her. He still held onto her chin.

"You don't have to worry about losing my interest," he answered confidently. "That will never happen, Teela. I can promise you that. I love you and that in and of itself will always make me come back for more." He kissed her forehead comfortingly and whispered, "I worry about pleasing you, too. I don't know what to do either. I mean, I know kind of, but…it's still a little daunting, especially when I want things to be perfect." He took a deep breath and said even softer, "And, I definitely don't want to hurt you, but since you're a...what you are, we know that's a possibility. We already know I'm going to…" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and breathed deeply. "If we make love, I promise I'll be as gentle as possible."

She leaned over and kissed him chastely. "I know you will be. I've always known that," she replied. "And, by the way, it's not 'if,' it's 'when.'"

He nodded, chuckled a little, and repeated the appropriate word, "When." After a few more seconds of contemplation, he spoke up again. "You know, Teela, I honestly think we need to handle this differently."

When she looked at him questioning, he explained. "Instead of saying that we're definitely going to make love tonight, why don't we just get together and see where it leads? I don't want to obligate you into doing something. I want you to know you can change your mind and that I only want to do this if it feels like the right time. After all, we won't know that for sure until the moment actually arrives and we're…in that situation. What do you think? Does that sound like a good plan?"

She nodded. "Yes, it does," she agreed, "even though I'm sure it's going to happen."

He grinned and pulled her back into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder as she wiggled her arms behind his back and held onto him. "I love you," she mumbled.

"I love you," he repeated.

Eventually, though, Teela finally brought up a topic of her own. She spoke softly under his chin as she continued to rest her head on him. "I know you keep saying that the royal way of courting is antiquated, but I'm curious…are you looking forward to it?"

He shifted his head a little trying to catch a glimpse of her face, but he couldn't, thanks to her position. "Honestly…yes," he admitted. "But don't get me wrong, I'm excited because I'll be with you. It wouldn't matter if we were courting this way or the way commoners do really. I'm just glad things will be official tomorrow. Every man will finally know that you're mine, and we won't have to hide our feelings in public quite so much anymore. I'll be able to hold your hand in the halls without worrying about someone seeing us. That's definitely worth all the hoopla."

She laughed and asked, "So, there's actually a rulebook for courting, huh?" She was obviously thinking back on his earlier revelation when she had jokingly asked if there were one.

"Yes," he answered and then leaned forward. "Get up for a second."

When she did, he stood, turned around, and pushed her lightly back to the couch. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" she called out as she watched him walk across the room towards the door.

He turned back, smiled, and replied, "I'm going to go get that book from my room." He then proceeded to slowly stick his head into the hall and look around before leaving. It took about a minute to get to his room and back.

When he opened the door again, he noticed Teela was no longer on the couch. Instead, she was lying down on top of her bed. "Comfy?" he asked as he approached her.

She stretched and hummed a little before saying, "Yes, very."

He sat down on the bed and stretched out beside her. He propped his head up on his hand as he faced her and placed the book beside her. "You can have this. It's one of the books I had to study as a child, so I don't really need it. I might come over to reference something once in a while, but other than that, I think it would be more beneficial for you to have it. You can look over the outing options and see what you want to do. You might want to look at the protocols of each date before we actually do them, as well. It's up to you, though. I obviously know enough that you can wing it."

She smiled and picked up the book. "I want it and I'll look over it," she answered. "If I'm going to court the crown prince, I need to do it right." She looked at the cover, and afterward she seemed surprised. He wondered why. It was simply a purple cover with the words The Art of Courtly Love written in gold letters. Maybe the lack of elaborate decoration was the big surprise. He watched as she flipped the book to the table of contents and immediately laughed. "Oh, Ancients!" she exclaimed as she dropped the book to her chest.

"What?" he questioned amusedly. In that book, there was a lot to laugh at, so he wondered what she had noticed right away.

She grinned at him, picked the book back up, and pointed to the name of the first chapter: "Chastity." He quickly laughed as well, seeing the irony of it all, considering their earlier conversation and what they might be doing later.

"We're already contemplating breaking the rules!" she whispered conspiratorially with a few chuckles.

He grinned and shrugged. He had a feeling he was going to hear Teela laugh a lot as she went through this book, and he was actually looking forward to it.

=)=)=)

_Yes, I know this chapter was all discussion and no real action, but it was an important discussion nonetheless, and of course, there are more things to be done and discussed before nightfall, so please be patient with me. In any case, I hope you enjoyed this chapter despite all the talk._

_Also, for those curious, yes, I got the title __The Art of Courtly Love __from the very real book by Andreas Capellanus, though people debate who he actually is. In any case, the author is a Frenchman who looked at the European rules of courting and wrote them down. Of course, debatably he was half sarcastic while doing so, but the book became insanely popular and people actually followed it since it did follow the customs of its time (late 1100's) so well. Of course, this book and the one Adam is giving Teela are not the same, because the Eternian book won't be teaching things like "Marriage is no real excuse for not loving." One of the things that Capellanus' book taught is that husbands had the right to go out and have mistresses, etc. Oh, another is that if your mistress was your real love, then you would be cheating on her if you slept with your wife, not the other way around. Haha. Yeah…we can't have our Adam following those kinds of rules, after all, LOL._


	18. Chapter 18

Teela's Visitor Chapter 18

"I didn't expect this book to be so thick."

Adam smiled as he glanced at the book Teela was flipping through slowly. He could tell she wasn't really reading anything—she was sort of skimming it and looking at whatever caught her eye for the moment. "Well, there are a lot of rules to follow," he replied; "The book also explains why we are expected to follow these instructions, but you don't have to read all of that. Just go to the portions that are of interest."

She shook her head at him. She closed the book and clutched it to her chest. "Nope, I said earlier that I wanted to court you the right way and that's what I intend to do. There won't be any skipping; I'm starting on page one."

His smile turned into a full-fledged grin. He loved that she was taking this so seriously. "Okay, but remember that's totally up to you." When she nodded, he looked around the room for a moment and decided to continue their earlier conversation. "So, are there other things you would like to know or discuss before I leave to prepare for tonight?"

She grinned excitedly as she sat up again energetically. "Well, there is something…" She trailed off and seemed to have begun contemplating it to herself.

"I'm an open-book to you now, Teela. What is it?"

Her grin widened and she exclaimed, "You never told me how you became He-Man for the first time. You said you'd tell me everything and I haven't heard a single word about that, yet."

He sighed playfully and replied with a smirk, "You do realize we've had many other topics distracting us from that one, and might I add that those topics are a lot…better." He gave her a look of barely repressed desire. His eyes raked down her body and back up to her eyes. He could tell from her expression, which was probably very similar to his, that she couldn't agree more with his assessment.

"_And to think, I used to think He-Man was my competition_," he thought happily.

"Yes, that's very true," she concurred, "but I'm still curious. This is a huge part of your life and now that I know about it, I want to know everything that you feel comfortable sharing with me."

He wrinkled his brow for a moment in confusion at her words. "Teela, I'm comfortable telling you anything. I'll tell it gladly. I'm not going to hide anything from you ever again. Just remember it's going to take some time to get everything out there. We have two years to catch you up on."

She gave a small nod and stated, "Then, let's get started."

He extended his arms to her and said, "Well, come here. We might as well get comfortable."

She grinned, huddled to his side, and rested her head on his shoulder as they wrapped their arms around each other.

He never had to tell this story before, so he wasn't sure how to start it off. He already knew he didn't have to tell her to keep it a secret and explain why she had to do so like he probably would have had to do with almost anyone else. He decided to tell it straightforward.

"It happened on my eighteenth birthday," he began softly. "Remember, we had a huge party to celebrate since my mother said that eighteen was the age of adulthood on Earth. Supposedly, it was a big deal where she came from. All my life, Mother and Father have tried to incorporate Earth traditions into my life whenever they could, so that's where we got the whole concept of birthday cakes with candles and presents. Would you believe birthdays weren't quite like that before Mother arrived? Father said presents were given before then, but they weren't gift-wrapped and Eternians didn't sing 'Happy Birthday' to anyone. In fact, no one had even heard of the song before she came along. Anyway, I digress…every year, the Sorceress always sent a present with Man-at-Arms, but on that particular birthday, she had him inform us that she wanted to give me my present in person. So, after the party, your father and I went to Castle Grayskull."

Teela smiled as she ran her fingers over Adam's chest and commented, "The Sorceress is really nice to send us presents on our birthday." She popped her head up. "I used to think she sent everyone presents on their birthday. I saw her more as a godlike figure that watched over everyone, but when I was sixteen, I had asked one of the pages what he had gotten from her on his birthday." She paused to laugh a little. "He told me she never sent him anything. I can understand why she would send you presents—you're the Prince of Eternia, but I never understood why she would send anything to me after that. Now that I'm older, I think she must have known I would help He-Man—uh, you—to defend Castle Grayskull, so it was a thank you, of sorts."

Adam tried to stop himself from looking guilty at this comment. He had a suspicion that those presents had nothing to do with future gratitude for protecting the castle. Instead, it was a mother sending her daughter presents secretly. He avoided her gaze and continued with his story.

"Yes, well, in any case, when we finally got to Castle Grayskull, the Sorceress told me about the hard times ahead. She said Skeletor would become more ruthless than ever before and that a hero would be needed." He shook his head and mumbled, "When she told me I was to be that person, I thought she was crazy. I mean, at that time I wasn't pretending to be a coward at all, as you well know, but I didn't think I was experienced enough yet to lead the Guard against Skeletor in battle. After all, I was brought up studying law and arithmetic; I never trained as much as you did growing up. Anyway, that's what I thought she had meant at the time. I suppose she read my thoughts, because she immediately told me afterwards that I wouldn't do it with my father's soldiers, that I would do it with the powers of Castle Grayskull. She then told me to hold out my hands and the Sword of Power appeared in them."

He trailed off as he remembered the moment. That moment had been scary, but oddly to him at the time, it had felt right.

"And, then what happened?" he heard Teela ask.

He snapped out of his reverie and replied, "She simply said, 'By the power of Grayskull, Adam' and went silent." He paused for a moment and then sat up. Teela backed away and faced him. "I don't know how to explain it," he continued, "but I just knew what to do after that. It was…instinctive, like the words and the actions were a part of me."

"What are you talking about?"

He shrugged and clarified, "That's how I change into He-Man. I hold up the Sword of Power and say 'By the power of Grayskull.' The Sorceress didn't have to tell me to hold my sword up, to say those words, or anything else. I just knew…and at that moment, when your father called my name, I did it for the first time and it was…the most incredible feeling I had ever felt. I never felt so powerful before. Truthfully, it scared me a little."

She grabbed his arm and whispered, "Can I see it?"

He looked at her. "See what? The Sword of Power?" He pulled it from his back and held it out to her.

"No, silly!" she exclaimed. "I want to see you turn into He-Man! We're talking about it, so I want to see it. Let me see what you experienced all those years ago." She then widened her eyes and gasped. "Or, does there have to be danger happening at that moment after you turned for the first time? I could understand that…obviously, the Sorceress wouldn't want you to abuse the power."

He placed a finger over her lips. "No, I can change whenever I want to."

She stared at him expectantly, so he nodded a couple of times and said, "Okay." He got off the bed and as she started to move, he held his hand out to motion for her to stop. "Stay on the bed and away from me. I don't want you to get hurt."

As she widened her eyes, he held the sword up and yelled, "By the power of Grayskull!" After he had transformed and yelled "I have the power!" he looked over at her to gauge her reaction. She was simply staring at him with her mouth wide open. She wasn't even blinking.

"Teela?" he questioned. He moved back to the bed and sat down in front of her as she continued to stare. "Well, what do you think?"

She blinked rapidly for a few seconds and then stuttered, "T-that…that…that was AMAZING!" She dropped her mouth open again and shook her head. After a moment more, she asked hurriedly, "Does it hurt? It looks like it should be painful with all that lightning and energy shooting to you." She then widened her eyes. "Hey, wait a minute! This power comes from Castle Grayskull's abyss, doesn't it? I remember while I was down there that one time that all this energy had shot up from far below and nearly blinded me. You were there and changed into He-Man to save me, didn't you?"

He nodded and answered simply, "Yes, and my power does comes from the abyss. That's what you saw…and no, it doesn't hurt."

She swallowed noticeably, stretched her hand out, and extended her index finger. With a smile, she touched his shoulder and pushed on him a little, almost like she was testing if he were really there.

He arched an eyebrow at her and said, "I'm still Adam. My complexion is just a little darker, but it shouldn't be hard to see Adam in He-Man anymore…or at least, that's what your father said to me all the time in the beginning."

She continued to smile at him and replied, "Oh, I can definitely see my Adam in you now, He-Man." She then mumbled to herself, "I suppose I always did, really. Now, everything makes sense…"

He knew what she was thinking and his mind accidentally slipped into hers, which confirmed his ideas.

"_For so long, I thought I was a horrible person for liking them both, but my subconscious must have known they were the same person!_"

Forcing himself out her mind—he didn't want to invade her privacy like that without her knowing—he teased, "What? Do you now think you were attracted to He-Man because he looks like Adam?"

She glared at him playfully for a moment and then laughed loudly. "Hey, do you always refer to yourself in the third person like that?"

He chuckled at himself and answered, "Only when it deals with He-Man. I have to keep myself and whoever I'm talking to straight. I mean, it would sound strange and more than a little egotistical to ask if you are attracted to me because I look like me."

She laughed louder and exclaimed, "I suppose so!" She stared at him for a few moments and whispered, "But to answer your question, I think I liked He-Man, because somehow I must have known subconsciously that he was you. I can't tell you how many nights I stayed up fretting over my feelings. I thought I was so awful, and I felt like I was betraying and cheating on you, Adam." She looked down at the bed and when she looked back up, she stated calmly, "You don't know how much of a relief it is to discover that you're the same person."

He simply smiled at her before she leaned forward and slipped a hand behind his neck. Feeling bolder than he ever had as He-Man with her, he leaned towards her and met her lips softly. When they pulled apart and opened their eyes, she slipped her arms around him and said softly, "You feel just like Adam. If I had my eyes closed and couldn't feel your apparel, I wouldn't be able to tell what form you were in."

He slipped his arms around her and whispered before he met her lips in another kiss, "Good, I wouldn't want to have a competition with myself over you."

She looked at him seriously and stated firmly, "There's no competition at all, He-Man. I prefer Adam. I want the real man."

Without any comment whatsoever, he left the bed, took his sword out hurriedly, and said, "Let the power return."

"A little less glitzy but spectacular, nonetheless," she observed, but she couldn't get much else out, because his lips were suddenly on hers.

Without conscious thought, he pushed her to lie on the bed and he leaned over her to kiss her thoroughly. To hear that she preferred Adam over He-Man…he was close to losing control of himself. He hadn't realized how badly he had wanted to hear those words from her until that very moment. As he kissed her continuously, he ran his hands down the sides of her uniform to her hips and then up to her stomach. He gripped her there tightly and then flipped them so she was on top of him.

She pulled back a little and laughed before she met his lips again with hers. They kissed excessively and he was almost tempted to go further when he bumped something with his arm as he ran his hands down her body. He glanced over and saw the book he had given her earlier. He immediately sighed. Even though he knew they were contemplating on breaking the first rule in that book, it still reminded him that he needed to do things right. Taking her now before he had romanced her and swept her off her feet would be regrettable to them both. He breathed deeply and closed his eyes in pleasure as Teela nibbled the side of his chin.

"Teela," he whispered when he regained control of himself.

"Hmm?" she responded as she continued to rub her hands up and down his sides.

"As much as I'm enjoying this, I think I need to go to prepare for tonight. I need to get Cringer taken care of, among other things."

She groaned. "Do you have to?"

"Yes," he insisted. "I want to do things the right way."

She sighed. "Okay," she replied reluctantly. She rolled off of him and stared at him as he stared at her.

"I love you," he whispered, "and I want you to know that whatever happens tonight, no matter what we decide to do or not do, that's never going to change."

"I love you, too."

He smiled brightly and got off the bed. He didn't move to the door right away; instead, he stared at her again. When she suddenly grinned at him in obvious amusement for staring at her for so long, he chuckled, shook his head, and replied, "I'm sorry. I just can't believe that this is actually happening sometimes."

"I know what you mean," she said softly.

He leaned to the bed once more and kissed her lightly. "Until tonight," he whispered as he pulled away slightly and stared into her eyes.

She repeated his words as she watched him walk away. When he reached the door, he turned back to look at her one more time and smiled a toothy grin. She picked up the book that was still resting beside her, used it to wave bye at him, and watched him step into the hall.

As he shut the door, he saw her flip to a page in the beginning. It looked like she was settling down to read. He didn't think it was possible, but his heart soared more at the moment than it ever had before. He was about to prepare for the evening as she prepared for their future. She was willingly learning the steps of how they would merge their lives together without him really asking her to. Tears gathered in his eyes and a single tear dropped as it finally hit him that this really was happening: she loved him, she wanted him, and she wanted to be with him for the rest of their lives.

He walked away from her door and went to look for Cringer. He had to talk to him about finding a different place to sleep that night. He also needed to figure out if they should join their family for dinner or eat privately, among many other things. He wanted the evening to be perfect regardless of whether they decided to make love or not. Teela had made his day unforgettable and amazing, and he wanted to do the same thing for her tonight.

=)=)=)

_-Edited-Sorry to anyone who thinks I should have jumped to the night scene. I think it was important for Adam to learn that she prefers his true self over He-Man, among the other things that happened in this chapter. Besides, I have something planned to happen between the events of this chapter and at night when they meet up. That "something" is actually essential to the next chapter and can't be left out, so I couldn't jump in time. So...I hope you enjoyed this, and don't worry, the night scene and their decision will be in the next chapter!_


	19. Chapter 19

_Just to warn you, another chapter was posted last night, so make sure you read both if you haven't! And, as always, thank you to those who comment and encourage me to keep going. You inspire me to keep moving forward and I hope you enjoy where I'm taking this story. =) I know some won't like this chapter, but tis' life, LOL. Anyway, this particular chapter has several different scenes with different things happening, but I hope it reads smoothly and is easy to follow._

Teela's Visitor Chapter 19

Adam walked through the halls in search of Cringer. He truly felt a little guilty about all the time he was spending away from his feline friend now that Teela and he had moved their relationship past the platonic stage. Even though Cringer didn't seem to be upset or angry when they had spoken earlier, he knew that the tiger wanted to be with him more often than not and that this distance wasn't the norm.

Of course, Teela wasn't to blame. He had to throw avoiding Man-at-Arms and several trips to Castle Grayskull in there, as well, and he had to admit his friend probably liked missing out on the latter anyway. Cringer always complained about going, because he worried that the Sorceress would send them off on yet another wild adventure.

He grinned as he thought of Cringer's comments over the years. The tiger said all the time that he hated being Battlecat, but when it came down to it, he knew Cringer wanted to go as much as he didn't want to go. It was a paradox that the feline would never admit to having, but he knew the war within him was there. Since he was a kitten, the cat had followed him everywhere, and he knew from experience that when times were dire, Cringer would risk his own life to protect him. He had proven that over the years.

Truth be told, he knew he owed Cringer a lot, not only for his constant companionship while growing up but also for his constant partnership against Skeletor. Sure, he always had Duncan at his side to help him but as Teela had made him realize earlier, Man-at-Arms never really went through the events with him like Cringer did. Cringer was right there with him every step of the way experiencing what he experienced…and giving Teela all of his attention recently was definitely not a way to show Cringer any appreciation or loyalty.

He didn't want him to start resenting her; he knew that was the main thing bothering him at the moment. Soon, Teela and he were going to start intertwining their lives together more so than they already were, and he simply needed for Cringer to accept the changes that were coming. He knew he might be a little silly to worry about this or to even think it might be a problem in the first place, but he couldn't help it. He had noticed in the past when he was flirting with courtiers that Cringer was often annoyed either by his actions or the girls simply being there. He didn't know what he would do if Cringer started to feel that way about Teela. He had a feeling it would tear him apart, so he wanted to stop the problem before it even started…hopefully, it hadn't started yet.

What brought this worry to his mind was the fact that he planned on asking Cringer to make himself scarce tonight, but as they had discussed briefly at breakfast, Cringer had been doing so a lot over the last couple of days…

And now he had to do so at night, as well?

Adam realized the tiger might not take kindly to that despite how good-natured and afraid of confrontation he was. So, on top of figuring out what he wanted to do with Teela that evening, he wanted to spend a little time with Cringer, as well, to make sure he was okay with everything that was happening. He realized he should have spoken with his pet about this long before now—he had just been distracted by so many other things, but it couldn't be put off any longer.

After he had stopped by all of Cringer's favorite sleeping spots throughout the palace and had seen that the tiger wasn't there, he went outside into the courtyard. Immediately, he saw Cringer sitting down, listening to Orko, who floated slightly above him.

"Ah, come on, Cringer, it'll be fun!" the Trollan exclaimed with his hands waving wildly. "The king and queen will love the trick so much they might even give you a big platter of fish!"

"Fish?" questioned Cringer excitedly as he stood and his tail swayed back and forth happily.

He chose that moment to interrupt. "What are you two doing?" he questioned.

Orko floated in front of him and responded, "I'm getting Cringer to help me with my latest trick for the king and queen! I'm going to lock him in a cage and tie his feet together; then with my magic I'm going to make him disappear and reappear outside the cage with his legs completely free!"

He nodded with a smile and said, "Sounds interesting…"

But before he could say anything else, Cringer dropped to ground, shook nervously as he covered his eyes, and complained, "No, it doesn't." He then popped his head up and said, "The question is whether fish is worth the risk."

Adam laughed heartily at his pet as he dropped beside him and petted him affectionately. He looked to Orko and asked, "When do you plan on performing this trick? I would like to steal your assistant for a couple of hours, if you don't mind."

The Trollan placed his fists on his waist and replied, "Well, I wanted to do it tonight, but I guess I can push it back a few days. What are you two going to do?"

He looked at Cringer with a hopeful smile and said, "I just thought he and I needed a little break and could go fishing together or something. How does that sound, Old Buddy?"

"That sounds great, Adam!" the tiger exclaimed. He then heard Cringer mumble to himself, "This way I'll get fish without having to do Orko's crazy trick."

Adam laughed and winked at his pet. He then turned back to Orko and offered, "You're more than welcome to join us, as well."

He shook his head and said, "Ah, no, I can't. If Cringer and I aren't going to do this trick today, I need to figure out something else."

"Well, okay, Little Buddy, but just remember the offer stands. You know where we'll be: at my favorite fishing hole."

"Sure thing, Adam!" the magician replied.

Adam turned to Cringer and said, "Well, let me go grab my fishing pole and let's head to the Evergreen Forest right away. We need to get out of here before we get caught. I've kind of been letting my royal duties slip over the last few days and knowing our luck, Father will notice any second now."

The tiger didn't need to be told twice. "Well, then let's go!" he cried as he sprinted back towards the palace entrance. Adam laughed as he went after him.

=)=)=)

Adam rested his back against a tree after he threw his fishing line into the water. He reached out with his other hand and scratched the top of Cringer's head. "Ah, this is the life, isn't it, Cringer?" he mumbled lazily as he rotated his neck a little to get the stiffness out.

"It sure is," the cat replied as he stretched his front paws out as far as he could while his hind legs remained standing straight. He yawned and then continued, "I feel like I could sleep for a year."

Adam yawned, as well. "Me, too. With that dream we shared and my recent worries, I know I haven't been sleeping like I should."

Cringer glanced at him briefly and replied, "What recent worries?"

"Oh, you know: Teela," he answered with a shrug.

He watched as the tiger settled down and closed his eyes. Sighing, he asked abruptly and softly, "Teela and I are getting pretty serious, Cringer. What do you think about that?"

The feline opened his eyes, turned his head to look at him, and said, "I like Teela…and I know how much you like her."

He nodded and then asked, "So, you're okay that she's been around so much?"

The tiger yawned again and mumbled, "She's always been around, Adam; she's always dr-dragging you off to do something, so now's not much different except she now shows up in unexpected places."

His skin turned scarlet red as he remembered Cringer discovering Teela in his bed. He brought a hand up and massaged the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Yes, well…things like that are probably going to continue to happen… It won't be so strange soon enough."

The tiger nodded and stated again, "I like Teela. I don't mind you two being together...you know, together, together."

He scratched behind Cringer's ears and replied with a wide grin, "I'm glad you feel that way, Old Buddy." After a few moments of hesitation, he then stated softly, "I have a favor to ask of you."

Cringer looked at him fearfully. "Oh, no!" He dropped his head and covered his eyes with his paws. "We're not about t-to go out as He-Man and Battlecat to do something for Teela, are we?"

He arched an eyebrow at his pet's idea. "Uh, no," he answered in amusement. "You know if Teela wants something, she's the type to go get it herself." He laughed a little and continued, "I just wanted to ask if it were okay that you sleep somewhere else tonight. Perhaps maybe with Orko?"

He watched as Cringer popped his head up to look at him with a confused expression.

Taking a deep breath, he explained, "Teela is…possibly going to spend the night, and well, she would feel better if we were alone during that time. It won't be all the time…" He trailed off and held his breath as he waited for the reaction.

"Sure, Adam, I'll spend the night with Orko," he replied with a smirk.

"Are you sure?" he asked, ignoring his pet's teasing. He knew Teela would kill him for discussing this with anyone, Cringer included, so avoidance was best. Continuing their conversation, he added, "I want you to know you aren't going to be excluded from us or anything. You know I would never allow that…"

"Of course, I know that, Adam." He said that almost as if he were offended that the prince would think otherwise.

He smiled in relief and whispered, "Good." He turned his attention to the pond and said, "Well, the fish aren't biting. Why don't we also use this time to catch up on our sleep?"

"Sounds like a plan to me."

=)=)=)

At first, he didn't know what had woken him up. He felt a little hot and dehydrated, and he quickly realized Cringer and he had been asleep for several hours. Now the sun had moved in the sky and its rays were bearing down on him. He stretched a little to wake himself up a little more and almost fell sideways when he suddenly felt the Sorceress' presence enter his mind. He could tell without her speaking that she was a little worried.

"_Sorceress_?" he questioned silently before she could even utter a word.

"_Adam, Skeletor is here at Castle Grayskull_!" she cried.

He could tell she was a little more worried than usual, and that certainly alarmed him. Knowing now wasn't a time to ask questions, he replied immediately, "_I'm on my way_." As he stood, the Sorceress interrupted him before he could wake Cringer up.

"_I must warn you, Adam, that I don't know what he has planned. He's standing on the drawbridge with Evil-Lyn, Trap Jaw, and Beastman. They haven't done anything yet and some kind of large pearl box is in his Basher._"

"_Well, one thing is for certain,_" he replied; "_It's not going to be a nice present. Are you sending for anyone else?_"

"_Yes, I will contact Man-at-Arms next._"

"_Okay, sounds good. See you soon, Sorceress. I'll be there as soon as I can_."

Adam quickly pushed on Cringer a little and as soon as the tiger looked at him, he frowned sympathetically and said, "The Sorceress needs He-Man and Battlecat, Old Friend. Let's go."

"Aww, Adam," the cat complained, but he ignored it and held up his sword.

"By the Power of Grayskull!"

=)=)=)

He-Man and Battlecat hurried to Castle Grayskull as quickly as they could. He hoped they would beat Man-at-Arms and whoever else he had decided to bring along with him. It hit him at that moment that it probably wouldn't be Teela, thanks to her new responsibilities. Of course, these trips had never really been a part of her formal responsibilities anyway. She merely included herself most of the time, and he knew it was possible that she'd still do the same. He didn't know whether he liked that idea or not. While he didn't want her to get hurt, he knew she was a trained soldier and could handle herself. It's just that after their courtship was announced, she would become a much bigger target and he didn't want them to take unnecessary risks. But, a moment ago when he had the idea that Teela wouldn't be accompanying her father, he felt incredibly sad. He already missed her presence on the field.

Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, he realized he needed to get those thoughts out of his mind for the time being. He didn't need to be distracted while fighting Skeletor, especially since he didn't know what the villain had up his sleeves this time.

Soon, they arrived at Castle Grayskull, and he could see why the Sorceress was so unsettled. Skeletor and his followers were standing on the drawbridge in a huddle and speaking to one another. He looked at the large box on the Basher: it was so huge that it hadn't been placed in the seat; instead, it was roped onto the back portion of the craft.

He walked forward with every intention of making himself known to the miscreants when he heard a commotion to his left. He looked over to see Man-at-Arms, Orko, and Teela, along with Ram Man, coming in an AttakTrak. He waved his arms and the vehicle immediately stopped.

"He-Man!" they all exclaimed happily.

Teela hopped out, ran over, and started to hug him but stopped herself abruptly. He watched as she glanced over at Ram Man briefly. She then looked annoyed, and he knew it was because she was refraining from hugging him like she wanted to. "Hey," she said softly instead.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" he questioned. "I thought you were stationed to remain at the palace."

She smirked and said, "The public announcement isn't until tomorrow, so I'm not in any more danger than I'm normally in." Her expression then softened. "I thought it would be nice to battle side-by-side one more time if it is to become a thing of the past."

He could tell from her words that they might have future arguments over that one, but at that moment, he decided to ignore the possibility and focus on the fact that she wanted to be with him one more time. He didn't care what Ram Man saw. He reached out, grabbed her hand, and squeezed it for a moment. "It does sound nice."

At that moment, Man-at-Arms cleared his throat as he stepped before them to grab their attention. He looked over at Castle Grayskull and asked, "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly; "Skeletor and the others haven't tried to get into the castle, yet, as far as I know. They're huddled together talking…"

Orko floated over and interrupted by saying, "I don't know—I feel some powerful magic right now…something other than Castle Grayskull. Are you sure they're just talking? Maybe they're casting a spell."

He-Man widened his eyes and realized that would make much more sense, and he bet that it had something to do with that box. "You're probably right," he agreed. "Well, why don't we just walk over there and interrupt the party?"

Ram Man replied, "Sounds good to me, heh ha ha!"

They made their way over to the castle as quickly as they could. Just as they reached the lower portion of the drawbridge, he heard Teela ask her father, "What does Skeletor plan on doing with that box? It looks odd, almost like it's shimmering."

"I'm not sure," Duncan answered, "but I'm sure whatever it is, it won't be good."

He-Man stopped abruptly and suggested, "Maybe I can find out and answer that question before we even get over there. We can find out what they're planning."

Everyone stopped to look at him.

"How are we going to do that?" she questioned.

He stared into her eyes for a few moments and admitted, "It's another one of those stories I have to tell you at another time." He glanced at Man-at-Arms and asked, "What do you think?" He knew Man-at-Arms would know he was talking about his new ability.

"It's worth a try," he answered. "Maybe knowing what Skeletor is thinking will make this a lot easier, and maybe we'll find out what the box is for and put a stop to whatever plans he has for it."

At that moment, He-Man realized this might be the best ability he had ever been given. He realized if he could read Skeletor's thoughts all the time, they'd be able to stop him with ease. They'd be able to counter any evil scheme he devised before he put it into motion. He stepped closer and focused on Skeletor just as he felt the Sorceress enter his mind again.

"_He-Man, Skeletor seems to be_…" She suddenly trailed off.

He could tell she was now aware of his intentions, so he began to push her from his mind so he wouldn't be distracted by her presence while he attempted. He knew instinctively that she tried to tell him something as he pushed her out of his mind, but he didn't understand it since he had cut himself off from her. He took a deep breath and stared at Skeletor intently once more.

"Okay, here goes nothing," he mumbled as Man-at-Arms gave him a short nod.

Just as He-Man felt his mind touching Skeletor's, he heard the Sorceress yell aloud from the castle window, "No, don't do it!"

It was too late. Suddenly, he seemed to be sucked in, and what he saw brought him to his knees…literally.

=)=)=)

Screams pierced his ears as darkness overwhelmed his senses. He couldn't see or feel anything, and he had never been so scared in his life. As the screams got louder and louder, he discerned another sound fighting to be heard above the screams. In a matter of moments, he recognized what it was and it made him flinch. It was Skeletor's sadistic laughter and it consumed him.

He closed his eyes and tried to place his hands over his ears, but he couldn't. He had lost his motor skills. All he could do was watch as the darkness brightened slightly and he could just make out Castle Grayskull in the distance. Numerous people were on the opened drawbridge and he gasped in fear. Skeletor screamed in success as he lifted a white object high in his hand. He stared at it for a moment and even though it was still dark, he could tell what it was: it was the Sorceress' head.

"Nooooooo!" he tried to scream but it came out as a mere whisper.

Then, the scene seemed to change. The darkness, screams, and laughter still overwhelmed him. They were constant and growing louder again as light barely pierced through the emptiness to allow him to see again slightly. He knew where he was. He was in the palace throne room, and he watched in absolute horror as Skeletor stood over his parents' bodies. Then, he saw himself as Adam several feet away, as well as Teela. They were all bloody and dead. No one, not even Man-at-Arms, could help them. He noticed at that moment that bodies were everywhere and Skeletor was the only live one present.

He watched with absolute terror as the villain grabbed the crown from his father's head and lifted it up in much the same manner as he had done with the Sorceress' head. He wanted to scream out as he had before, but he found that he was unable to this time. His condition was growing worse.

And, the scene changed yet again. The screams, darkness, and laughter still dominated his senses and this time he discovered they were at Snake Mountain. He saw Skeletor standing over He-Man. The villain placed a foot on his chest as if he were declaring victory, and the truth was he had won. Blood was everywhere and He-Man never moved a muscle. He was dead…just like all the others that he had seen earlier. He tried to cry out in disbelief and total despair as he watched Skeletor hold up the Sword of Power, but he couldn't. He couldn't do anything.

Then, he finally heard something new over the screams and laughter. It was Skeletor proclaiming in the most sadistic voice he had ever heard the villain use, "ETERNIA IS MINE!"

Then, everything went dark and he was no longer aware of anything.

=)=)=)

Everything was still dark and he prepared himself for yet another horrible sight even though he couldn't imagine how anything could be worse than what he had already seen.

He was startled to hear Man-at-Arms' voice, and that's when he realized he no longer heard the terrible screams and Skeletor's laughter.

"Sorceress, what happened? He's still unconscious—I've never seen him pass out like that before."

"I warned him, Duncan, but he obviously didn't understand. I told him there were dangers when looking into people's minds—I told him to only do it with those whom he trusted."

He groaned and tried to open his eyes.

"Adam," he heard as soft fingers brushed against his cheek. He knew that voice and touch anywhere.

"Teela," he mumbled as he forced himself to open and focus his eyes on her.

"Hey!" she exclaimed as tears slipped down her cheeks continuously.

Soon, Man-at-Arms and the Sorceress came into view. They stood above Teela, so he assumed she was sitting down beside him on a bed.

"How are you?" Duncan asked as he reached out and squeezed his forearm. "You gave us quite a scare back there. No one could focus on fighting Skeletor since we were so worried about you. I think the only reason we won is because Skeletor was disappointed that you weren't there and simply left."

He-Man only stared at them and didn't say a word. He didn't know why he didn't respond. He knew he was able, but he just couldn't. He felt…empty. Everything felt so pointless and horrible.

He then felt the Sorceress' presence in his mind, but she quickly retreated. He noticed her shiver before she moved around Teela to stand beside him near his head. "What you're feeling now is the remnants of Skeletor's thoughts," she explained softly. "When your minds touched, his ideas and beliefs were so evil and so powerful that he overwhelmed your mind. The only reason you didn't succumb to those ideas is because your virtue and nobleness were stronger. Instead, it made you feel sick, among other things."

He stared at her for a moment before turning back to look at Teela again. He felt tears accumulate in his eyes. He remembered seeing her dead, lying beside him in a pool of blood, and he suddenly couldn't bear the thought. Nor could he stand any of the others: his parents, the Sorceress, Duncan, and everyone else…dead.

"Perhaps you should turn back into Prince Adam," the Sorceress suggested. "Maybe getting you out of here and back home might make you feel a little better."

Again, he didn't respond in any way. Then, he noticed that Teela was leaning over him. She kissed him softly and whispered, "Change into Adam and come back to me. Say something. I need you so much." More tears slipped down her cheeks.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and slowly, he sat up. He grabbed his sword, held it up, and returned the power. As he slipped the sword behind his back where it belonged, he watched Teela as she brushed her fingers across his cheek again. She looked worried, and he hated to be the cause of it, so he tried to act normal.

"I'm—I'm okay," he assured her with a raspy whisper. He then swung his legs to the floor and stared at everyone present. Everyone who had shown up to fight was there aside from Ram Man. He assumed Man-at-Arms had sent him back to the palace to report what had happened to his father.

Then, he noticed Duncan walked over and bent before him. He grabbed his hand and asked, "Are you able to walk on your own? Are you sure you're okay?"

He nodded. "I'm fine," he reassured them. To convince them, he took a deep breath and stood. He looked over to the Sorceress and responded to what she had said to Man-at-Arms earlier. "When you warned me about reading people's minds, I thought you meant I might not like what I hear. I didn't know anything like this could happen."

She walked over and squeezed his hand. "Well, now, you do, so I trust the same mistake won't happen again."

He nodded and looked over at Teela as she stood and immediately put her arm around his waist. "I love you," she whispered as they began to walk slowly through the castle.

He nodded as he leaned over and kissed her temple. He felt so tired and so out of it that he didn't repeat the sentiment. She knew how much she meant to him, so he hoped his actions would suffice.

=)=)=)

He didn't want any dinner, so he allowed Teela to pull him to his room without any complaints whatsoever. As soon as they entered the room, he went to his bed to lie down as he heard her lock the door. He dropped his head onto his pillow and closed his eyes to try to block everything out.

Teela wouldn't let him, though. She walked over from the door and immediately began to remove his boots. After she finished this task, he watched her remove hers, as well, and then move to the other side of his bed. He followed her progress, turned onto his side, and then brought his knees up slightly. He wondered if she would think less of him if he curled up into a ball.

He knew she didn't really understand what was happening right now—he didn't even really understand it himself, but his mind kept replaying what he had seen in Skeletor's thoughts over and over again. It left him lethargic and depressed. He knew he needed to overcome these feelings, but at that particular moment, it felt impossible.

He watched as Teela slipped into the bed beside him, faced him, and mimicked his position. "I love you," she said after several moments. She reached out and took one of his hands in hers.

He knew she was trying to comfort him and he tried to return the favor, so he replied softly, "I love you, too."

He watched in surprise as tears gathered in her eyes.

"Adam, talk to me," she pleaded. "What did you see?"

He stared at her for so long that he knew she probably thought he wasn't going to answer her. "Death," he whispered finally. "Everyone was dead: me, you, Mother, Father, Duncan, the Sorceress…we were all gone and Skeletor had won." He heard her gasp.

"They're the imaginings of a madman, Adam," she stated firmly. "They're not premonitions—it's wishful thinking. That's all, nothing more."

He nodded slowly. "I know," he whispered. "I just need…some time to get over it. It felt so real, even though I knew that it wasn't. Even now, the images are replaying in my mind and I still feel the same helplessness and dread I felt then…I'm sure I'll feel better in the morning." He then paused and stared at her for a moment. He groaned and whispered, "I'm so sorry, Teela. I know I was supposed to wine and dine you tonight. We possibly would have made love. I'm so sorry to have ruined that for you."

She quickly brought a finger to his lips and replied, "Shush, don't apologize—you have no reason to be sorry. If you want to discuss it tomorrow, we can but please know that I'm not disappointed. The only thing I care about right now is you. You'll notice I was hospitable to the Sorceress and my father this afternoon—take that as proof." She leaned forward and kissed him softly as he smiled a little at her words. She moved her body closer to his and wrapped her arms around him. "I want to hold you tonight. We'll do whatever you want: sleep, talk, nothing. It doesn't matter. I just want to be here with you to help. I don't want you to be alone right now while these thoughts are bombarding your mind," she whispered; "Can I stay?"

He slipped his arms around her and as tears slipped down his cheeks, he answered, "Yes."

=)=)=)

_Just keep in mind, everyone, that everything happens for a reason, so don't kill me. I hope you enjoyed it._


	20. Chapter 20

_Warning! Adults skip this if you don't want spoilers. Kiddies read: This chapter gets a little hot. Don't read. You've been warned._

Teela's Visitor Chapter 20

He knew Teela had plans all day long to spend the night with him, but he was sure she didn't mean to do that quite like this. Regardless, he was grateful for her company. He knew if this had happened before Teela had learned his secret, he would have been sitting in his room alone trying to overcome the feelings of woe on his own. Well, Cringer might have been with him, and the Ancients knew he helped a lot…but things were certainly better with Teela around to help, as well.

Currently, she was kissing the tears on his cheeks and he smiled in response. She was being so understanding and so sweet. This was the Teela he had grown to love as a child. Oh, she had still been that person once they had grown up, but he had rarely gotten the opportunity to see this side of her, thanks to his persona as carefree and cowardly Prince Adam. She had grown accustomed to having to get onto him for not taking things seriously.

She was surely seeing he cared about a lot of things now. If it had been anyone else, he probably would have been embarrassed about crying in front of them…well, he would have been embarrassed with her if she hadn't known the truth about everything. But he knew she understood now. She understood why he had done the things he had done, and she knew if he was upset now, it had really affected him.

He looked at her once she pulled her lips from his face and continued to smile. "Thank you," he said softly.

"There's no need to thank me," she replied; "I want to be here for you. You're not going to be alone ever again."

He squeezed her hand and whispered, "I haven't been alone, not really, but I'm glad you're here anyway. Things are definitely better now. I like being able to talk openly with you."

She kissed his nose and he chuckled at her actions. "So, talk openly now," she commanded softly.

He grimaced as tears gathered in his eyes again. She immediately frowned and he said, "I'm okay, Teela. It's just that these thoughts from Skeletor…I entered his mind and saw them. It's not like I'm remembering something I thought of days ago; instead, it's like a memory, if that makes any sense. I can see the images of the Sorceress decapitated and Skeletor holding up my father's crown…"

She gasped and he nodded. "Yeah, and I saw a lot more than that." He took a shaky breath and continued, "Intellectually, I know these thoughts aren't real, but my senses and feelings are treating them differently. I cannot bear the memory of seeing you and our parents dead. A memory is far more lasting and horrible than a mere thought…"

Teela tightened her arms around him as she spoke. "I know there's nothing I can do to help with that, Adam. All I can do is be here, I guess, unless you have an idea of what I can do."

"Just being here is great." He kissed her on the forehead before she settled her head on his chest as he turned to lie on his back. "But, can we talk about something else? I'd rather get my mind off of it than dwell on it, if you don't mind."

She nodded. "Okay," she whispered. "What do you want to talk about?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Anything. Pick a topic."

She turned her head to kiss his chest through his clothes. "Well, why don't we discuss that book you gave me earlier? I read the first chapter."

He grinned and asked, "So, what did you think?"

She pulled herself up and sat crossed-legged beside him. "It was very enlightening."

He nodded and watched as she looked down at her lap.

"Can I admit something that might sound awful?" She met his gaze cautiously as he nodded again. "After reading that first chapter, I'm…glad we have more time to consider things."

He immediately scooted up and rested his back against the headboard of the bed. She effectively made him forget about Skeletor for the moment. "So, you've changed your mind about us…making love?"

"I didn't say that." She took his hand in hers. "I haven't made any such decision. I just think there is a lot more to consider than I had realized, especially since you're the High Prince."

"What do you mean?"

She started fumbling with and staring at his fingers and explained, "Well, for one, when you and I decide to get married, members of the council or even monarchs from other kingdoms, they can…well, they can ask for proof that…I'm still pure."

He gasped, "Teela…"

She didn't give him time to say anything else. "I know, I know. Your parents got away with it. They made love before marriage and no one asked her to prove anything, but they were in a different situation than you and I, don't you think?"

"How so?"

"Well, for starters, your father was the king when he met your mother. It's one thing to ask a prince for proof that his fiancée is pure but quite another to ask the High King of the entire planet." She met his gaze. "I just…I don't want anything to stop us from being together, and I'm a commoner. It gives people a lot more reason to question my current state in this matter. I know since King Randor gave you those condoms, he's not expecting there to be a problem, but what if there is? What if someone questions him and asks him to subject me to those tests?"

Adam didn't want to admit it, but he knew she had a very legitimate concern. He knew all about the questions they could ask and the test of purity, but he honestly didn't think there would be a problem. It was an archaic custom and he hoped the people of Eternia had moved past it. As far as he knew, no one had asked this test of anyone for quite a while. He brought one of her hands to his lips and placed a lingering kiss on her knuckles as he gazed into her eyes. "Teela, I'm not going to say that those fears are ungrounded. Someone _might _ask for proof—I think it's highly unlikely—but here are some things to consider: first of all, they have to ask my father for that proof; second, my father has every right to deny their request; and last, I honestly don't think anyone will ask. The people know us and we're well-liked. Besides, no one in any kingdom has asked for this test to be performed in a very long time."

She shook her head and said, "Angry fathers of jealous daughters might ask just to give us a hard time. Adam, your father said it himself: a lot of people had their eyes on you. There might be a backlash."

He looked down for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "Teela, if you don't want to make love to err on the side of caution, that is fine with me. I will do anything to make you happy. I just…want you to know that Father would never stop me from marrying you if that's what I wanted to do. He wouldn't allow anyone to stop us."

She nodded with tears in her eyes, and he placed his hand on her cheek.

"Are there any other reasons you might change your mind?"

She shrugged and answered softly, "Well, just the things you've already said about marriage and that making love is supposed to be a gift to your spouse. The book was very convincing on the importance of chastity." She laughed a little. "And, besides, there are other things we can do with and _to_ each other without actually…joining. We've already done some of those."

He grinned as she looked down and a blush started to color her skin. "Ah, yes," he said teasingly, "I do remember that night. When was that? Oh, yeah…last night." He laughed as she lifted her head slightly to peek at him. He pulled on her hand a little and said, "Come here."

Willingly, she allowed herself to be pulled into his arms. She rested her head under his chin as she slipped her arms around him. "Then, I suppose it's settled," he whispered. "We're going to wait…at least for now."

She nodded and pulled back. "Yes," she answered but then looked up at him worriedly. "If that's okay with you. I mean, if you want to…"

"Teela," he interrupted her by grabbing her chin and making sure she was looking at him. "I'm fine with waiting. Besides, like you just said a second ago, there are other things we can do to express our love when the desire hits us."

She smiled and exclaimed, "When the desire hits us? Adam, just being in your presence makes me want to pounce on you!"

"Oh, really?" he questioned huskily, running his eyes down her body seductively. "Do you want to pounce on me right now and help me forget about the world for a while?"

He was happy that Teela had made the decision to wait. It opened him up to be freer with his actions and words when they were in moments like this. He didn't have to worry about seducing her and making her do something she might later regret. With her decision, he now knew she wanted to stop and he could use that to stop himself, as well. He knew they'd only go so far, that there was a boundary, which made him feel a lot more comfortable about things.

He grinned at her as seductively as he could manage as he waited for the answer; he was feeling downright giddy, so he knew that his look might end up being goofier than intended. He had a feeling it worked, though—she gave him the exact same look he had been going for: a lowering of the head and eyelids as they ran their eyes over places to touch on the other. "Yes," she answered simply.

He didn't waste any time. He held her gaze when her eyes met his again and stated, "Well, then I'm waiting, Captain."

=)=)=)

He closed his eyes as she pressed her lips against his firmly. He grinned and started to pull her to him even closer, but surprisingly, she moved back abruptly. "What is it?" he asked hurriedly. "Did I do something wrong?"

She shook her head and answered, "No, it's just that I want to do the exploring this time. I want to take charge." She ran a finger down his neck, down his chest, and to his belt before moving it back up. "You've had such a hard day. I want to make you forget about every horrible moment you've had to endure."

Just as he opened his mouth to tell her that he wanted the same for her, she interjected, "I'm going to enjoy this just as much as you will. Trust me."

Adam swallowed roughly as he felt himself harden significantly at her words. He closed his eyes and licked his lips a little. Just her words pleased him, and he knew she spoke the truth. Teela was definitely one that liked to take charge totally, and he had to admit it would make him forget everything for a while. She had already done a good job and this would certainly keep the streak going. Finally, he whispered, "Okay."

She grinned wickedly and whispered, "Good boy. Now, just lie down and let me have my dirty way with you." She laughed heartily as he widened his eyes almost the point where they hurt.

Eventually, he recovered enough to grin at her mirth and asked jokingly, "What are you trying to do? End things before they even begin?"

She leaned over him but didn't allow their bodies to touch. "Oh, so you like a little dirty talk, do you?" She kissed him lightly on the lips.

When she pulled away to run her eyes down his body, he answered, "Only when it's you doing it."

"I better be," she replied, but before he could reassure her, she began to kiss, nip, and suck on his neck where she could feel his vein pulsing from his heartbeat. He moaned instantaneously and moved to take her in his arms again. She pulled back again and stated, "No touching until I state otherwise, my prince. I'm in charge tonight."

The look she gave him made him want to take her in his arms and forget all about their decision to wait. He breathed deeply, closed his eyes, and mumbled, "Yes, ma'am." Then, he felt her lips on his again and he grinned happily. He kissed her hungrily even as he fought against the urge to grab her.

When she pulled away, she mumbled again, "Good boy."

He chuckled a little in response to her words as she brought her lips to his again. Her hands traveled down his chest to the buckle of his belt. She undid it slowly, pulled it from his body, and dropped it to the floor unceremoniously. The next thing to go was his tunic. She wrapped her arms around him as she straddled his legs and made him sit up. He went to put his hands around her waist, but the glare she gave him stopped him cold. He grinned again widely, which she returned, as well, as he placed his balled-up fists at his sides.

Turning her attention back to the task at hand, Teela slipped the tunic down his shoulders and off his body. When it joined the belt, she pulled his t-shirt from his tights and slipped it over his head onto the floor, too. Once she was finished, she pushed him back down and ran her eyes over his finely chiseled chest and abs. "I don't know why I never questioned why you were so muscular if you really lazed about all the time. You couldn't get this kind of physique with just my combat lessons," she mumbled to herself.

He heard her and smiled. "The powers of Grayskull?" he suggested with a shrug.

She didn't respond. Instead, she scooted herself down so she could kiss his collarbone easily. She lingered there for only a few moments before she started moving downward. Surprisingly, she only spent a few moments on his chest. She kissed each peck and ran her lips across them lightly, making him moan, but soon she traveled even farther south. Repeating what he had once done to her that drove her mad, she swirled her tongue around his bellybutton several times before sliding it into the hole.

He gasped right away. "Teela," he called out as he began to breathe a little roughly.

She glanced up his body briefly to look at his face as she smiled and began to nibble on the skin there.

He leaned his head back and brought one of his hands to his face to cover it. He was having a hard time not reaching for her at that moment. "Teela, you're torturing me!" he finally cried out.

In response, she left his bellybutton and went down a little farther to the waistband on his tights and fur-pants. She began to lick the skin above them from one side to the other.

He moaned and raised his hips to rub himself against her body. He had tried to stop the response but couldn't. His body was now aching for her and he didn't know how much more he could stand. Not being able to touch her was driving him even nuttier—it was taking more self-control than he knew he possessed.

She grinned even more as she looked up at him again as he looked down at her. She ran her hands up his sides and down again for a moment, and he hissed. He was on fire; there was no other way to describe it. "Teela," he said again, but she ignored him.

As she trailed her fingers up and down his sides one last time, she hooked them in his fur-pants and began to move them down his body. His tights remained where they were, but that didn't stop Teela from kissing down his legs as she pulled the furry apparel from his body. She then travelled back up, kissing him again, and he found himself shaking with the effort it took to control himself.

Fortunately, Teela didn't stop at the waistband of his tights. Instead, she traveled up his body and brought her lips to his again. She gave him a soft brief kiss and asked, "Do you want to touch me now?"

"Ancients, yes," he cried out.

She grinned and batted her eyes at him innocently. "Then, you can, but I'm still in charge."

He didn't have to be told twice. He immediately brought his hands around her body and held her to him tightly as they kissed. Then, his hands did their own exploring: they raked up and down her sides and then finally down her back to her posterior. So frenzied and lost in desire, he caressed each cheek simultaneously for the first time as he also pressed her lower body to his and began to grind himself against her.

Both gasped at the sudden feelings that shot through their systems and she gasped, "Wait! Wait!"

He closed his eyes and dropped his hands from her body. He groaned in frustration and whispered, "You're going to drive me mad, Teela."

She kissed him on the lips briefly and replied, "I only want to remove this armor." He opened his eyes as she lifted the armor off of her bodysuit. He took it from her and then set it on the floor as carefully as he could, considering his position on the bed. When he was through, she kissed him softly on the lips and said, "There, now metal won't be digging into you."

He breathed deeply to control himself and admitted, "I barely noticed. You, my dear captain, have bewitched me."

"Mission accomplished," she declared with a kiss and then a light scrape of her teeth on his jaw.

He moaned and began to wrap his arms around her again, but she pulled back once more and shook a finger at him playfully. "Not again," he complained. He wanted to continue to touch her.

"Oh, you won't mind this time, trust me," she replied with an evil grin. Once more, she kissed down his body and went back to his tights. Just like before, she kissed and licked around his waistband, but soon, he found her doing new things: she slid her hands down his hips to his knees and now she was traveling up his inner thigh as she bent before him between his legs.

He gasped as he sat up a little. "Teela! What are you doing?"

"You'll see," she replied as she began to move her body up his, but her hands remained on his thighs until their heads were level. Then, she brought one hand to his hip and the other very lightly brushed against his restrained manhood.

"TEELA!" he shouted. Her actions surprised him, even though that's what his body had been preparing for. He moaned and closed his eyes as she increased the pressure and rubbed up and down a little.

The restraint of his tights that were keeping him down was starting to become unbearable with her actions. He felt himself growing hotter and hotter by the moment. Then, she kissed him deeply as she continued her actions and he was lost. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and began moving his hips against her hand.

Eventually, though, she pulled away and asked softly, almost as light as air in his ear, "Can I take your tights off?"

He gasped at the question and pulled his head away so he could look at her. She was blushing from her head to her toes. "I thought you wanted to wait!" he exclaimed. Now, he was truly shocked.

"I do," she whispered; "I'll remain clothed. Remember, this is for you."

He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. Breathing deeply, he replied, "That hardly seems fair."

"I want to touch you, Adam. It would bring me pleasure. Let me," she whispered.

Moaning, he thought about it for a few moments and said, "Okay, but I'm not going to remain idle."

She smiled and kissed him as she began to push the tights down his legs. Once everything was down to his hips and he had sprung free, he moaned in both pleasure and relief, but he didn't do anything yet. He continued to watch her as she slid the tights from his body. She kept her eyes on his the entire time. Then, after several moments had passed, she asked tentatively, "Can I look at you?"

Swallowing roughly, he nodded. "Yes."

She sat back and ran her eyes down his body. Of course, her eyes locked to that one area she had never seen before and he watched her face worriedly, unsure what she was thinking.

"Teela?" he questioned.

She suddenly snapped her head towards him. It was obvious she had been lost in her thoughts. "You're gorgeous, Adam…all of you," she whispered.

He felt relief at her words, but he asked, "Really?"

She nodded. "Oh, yes," she answered. "Can I…touch you?"

He almost embarrassed himself right then and there. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply to calm himself down. "_Quit acting like an overly eager and nervous virgin, even if you are one_," he chastised himself. When he was sure he was able to handle it, he looked at her again and answered softly, "Yes."

He closed his eyes again as she touched his bare skin there for the first time. He moaned loudly and bit his lip with every motion she made. Eventually, though, he had enough of simply receiving pleasure. He grabbed her and turned them both so they were lying on their sides facing one another. She continued to touch him and he quickly ran his hand up her legs over her hips. He then placed his hand over her abdomen and watched her eyes for any objection as he traveled his hand lower slowly.

When she didn't, he touched her there over her bodysuit for the first time more confidently and began to move his hand in motion with hers. Moans, kisses, and cries of pleasure soon filled the room, and Skeletor and his thoughts continued to be a distant memory.

=)=)=)

Some time later-they were unsure of how long exactly-Adam and Teela still faced one another and stared deeply into each other's eyes. "That was amazing!" she whispered as she grinned and leaned over to kiss him lightly.

"Yes, it was," he agreed. He ran his eyes down her still clothed body for a moment and continued, "You are amazing."

She grinned at him as she raked her own eyes down her body and asked, "Do you have something I can sleep in? I don't want to run to my room and risk running into others. I'm not putting my boots and armor back on to do it."

He grinned and pointed to one of his dressers. "I have plenty of t-shirts. They'll be huge on you, so they'll work as nightgowns. Take your pick."

She quickly kissed him before she sprung from the bed, went to the dresser, and picked out one of his usual white undershirts. He watched as she turned towards him, winked at him, and then went into his bathroom to change.

He stretched a little as he heard his shower turn on and began to get lost in his thoughts. He almost couldn't believe what Teela and he had done earlier. Oh, he was extremely happy about it, but when she had made the decision to not make love, he hadn't expected her to want to go anywhere near as far as they went. He loved that they did, though, and he loved her so much. He didn't think he'd have to worry about her regretting going this far, especially since it was her idea.

He looked at the bathroom door and waited for her to come out in his t-shirt. He couldn't wait to see that, but try as he might, his exhaustion caught up with him and he fell asleep.

=)=)=)

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he awoke to the sounds of someone crying out for him.

"Adam!"

He instantly knew who it was when he heard the voice again! It was Teela, and his heart jumped into his throat!

=)=)=)

_I hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think.  
_

_**ANNOUNCEMENT**: I will be moving this story to the "M" rating very soon. I'm probably going to switch it in the morning to allow my readers to know why it is suddenly going to disappear from the main page. You will be able to find it under the "All" or "M" filter if you're not "following" the story! Sorry about the confusion, everyone! =)_


	21. Chapter 21

_Sorry that this took so long to post. Believe it or not, a main phone line was cut a few miles from my home, so I didn't have any internet access (or a landline phone) for quite a while. Because of that, I have two versions of chapter twenty-one that takes the story in two slightly different places. Strangely that "slight" made the chapters seem mighty different, though. Haha! Blame the telephone company for giving me so much time to over-think things. I re-read the first one several times and was like, "Ah, let's rewrite this." So, this is what came as a result._

Teela's Visitor Chapter 21

He sat up in bed hurriedly and felt his heart pounding. Not caring at that moment about anything else besides Teela, he ran his eyes frantically across the room to find her. He didn't see her until he glanced down at his side.

There she was, sleeping peacefully beside him on his bed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. He could have sworn he had heard her yelling for him, but he quickly realized it must have been a dream…a horrible dream that was more than likely inspired by Skeletor's evil imaginings. Fortunately, he couldn't remember what the dream had been about.

After sitting there for several minutes trying to ease away his unsettled feeling, he lay back in bed and turned to face Teela. She gave him all the inspiration he needed to forget about everything but her. She was wearing one of his t-shirts and she was unbelievably cute: the collar was so large that her right shoulder was completely bare and she had to roll up the sleeves so her hands wouldn't be covered. He had the urge to lean over and kiss her shoulder, but he stopped himself. He didn't want to wake her up—she looked so peaceful and beautiful. He could stare at her for hours.

But instead, he looked down at himself and blushed. It was at that moment that he realized he was still undressed—he had fallen asleep waiting for Teela to emerge from the bathroom. At least he had his blankets thrown over him, so he was somewhat covered. Feeling awkward because he had never slept naked before, he got out of the bed carefully so he wouldn't wake up Teela and strolled to his closet. He grabbed one of his usual nightwear pieces and slipped it on over his head. He debated on whether he should take a shower but decided against it because he didn't want to wake her up and the water surely would.

Climbing back into bed, he lay on his side facing her and continued to simply watch her sleep. He couldn't believe his luck. He knew long ago that Teela was the love of his life, but he had also come to the sobering conclusion after He-Man had come into existence that they would never be together. He had believed she would never be able to see him in a positive light, because she had gotten into the habit of comparing him to He-Man. He had known that he would always fall short as Adam…

But now, he knew differently. She loved him. She loved him so much that she was willing to sleep by his side to make sure he was okay after he had a particularly hard day. She loved him so much that she was willing to give up some of her responsibilities with the Guard. She loved him so much that she allowed them to express their love in ways that neither one of them had experienced with anyone else.

He smiled as he thought about their earlier actions. She never ceased to amaze him and he had learned today that Teela was quite the seductress. If she had used those charms on him when she had first wanted to make love, he knew he would have given in right then. It was a good thing she decided to wait, though. Who knew that decision would lead to such a…pleasing alternative?

He blushed as he remembered Teela's touch. They had only been together for a short time and they were certainly new to the business of lovemaking, but she already knew how to touch him to drive him wild. And, he seemed to know what she liked, too. She hadn't really said just like he hadn't told her, but the moans and quivers that ran through her body earlier told him that he had done a good job.

He smiled at himself as he felt a burst of male pride swell in his chest. He never knew he could be so…primitive. He had listened to other men in the past brag about their sexual prowess and their skill to please women. He had always believed their behavior to be a little barbaric, but now he understood to a certain degree. Oh, he wouldn't go bragging to everyone like they did, but it did incredible things to his ego to know that he was able to please her as much as she did him. He laughed a little to himself quietly as he thought about himself being He-Man: he was supposed to be a barbarian, after all. It fit.

A hum brought him out of his thoughts, and he watched as Teela moved and stretched a little beside him. "Adam," he heard her mumble.

He wasn't sure if she was awake or not, so he scooted closer and stared at her face. Suddenly, a hand reached out from underneath the covers and rested on his hip. She opened her eyes and whispered, "I could hear you thinking."

He raised his brow, unsure of how to respond. Was she joking or was he projecting his thoughts accidentally? A blush settled on his face as he remembered exactly what he had been thinking…

She stared at him for a few moments and must have seen his worry or embarrassment, because she grinned suddenly and said amusedly, "I'm just playing. I felt your eyes on me, so I knew you had to be thinking about earlier."

She scooted closer to him, so he slipped an arm around her and held her close. "Yes, I was," he admitted. "I was thinking about how unbelievable it all seems. I never thought I'd be able to touch you or be with you and now that it's happening…"

"It's like a dream," she finished.

He nodded. "Yes, and it's one I don't want to wake up from."

She kissed him lightly on the lips and whispered, "You won't. I promise you that."

She snuggled beside his chest and mumbled, "Get some sleep, Adam. We have a big day tomorrow."

He grinned as he tightened his hold on her. "Yes, ma'am," he whispered teasingly. With Teela actually in his arms, he hoped it would keep any potential nightmares away. He closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

=)=)=)

The next morning he opened his eyes to sight of Teela watching him. She had her head propped up by her arm and she was just staring at his face. He smiled and whispered, "Good morning."

She returned the soft smile and greeting. "Good morning."

They gazed at each other and Adam's smile morphed into a full-fledged grin.

"What?" she asked clearly amused.

"Oh, nothing," he replied. "I'm just happy that you're here. I like seeing you as soon as I wake up."

She reached out, grabbed his hand, and intertwined their fingers. "I do, too," she admitted softly. She scooted over and rested her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

He could get used to this. In fact, he wanted to but he knew it was nowhere near the right time for that. As a matter of fact, spending the night with one another was one of their courting rituals, but they were in no way doing it correctly and it was meant to be done only one time before they were married. He grinned as he thought of all the protocols they had to follow. Despite the fact that all the eyes of the people would be on them constantly, he was actually looking forward to courting Teela openly and experiencing all of the things he had read about. They just had to get things started by announcing their relationship…and that would happen today.

He grinned as he tightened his arms around her even more and glanced down at the top of her head. "Are you ready for our big announcement?" he questioned.

She nodded and turned her head to kiss the center of his chest. "Yes," she answered, "but I'm a little unsure about what will happen at court today. It wasn't in chapter one of that books of yours."

He scooted up to rest his back against the headboard, so she sat up to face him. "Court will start as it normally does," he answered; "Father will make his announcements. If anyone has anything to address with him, they'll do so. Half way through thereabouts, he'll stand and tell everyone he has a big announcement to make. Then, he'll tell them. We might have to walk to the center of the floor before him or something, but he'll tell us what to do."

"So…should I wear a dress? I mean, this is the day that everyone learns we're courting, but the court is going to know something is up if I show up in a dress instead of my uniform." She looked a little worried.

He shrugged. "It's up to you. I don't care either way, but if you do decide to wear a dress, don't worry about them knowing something is up. Let them ponder and drive themselves crazy." He leaned towards her and kissed her softly.

She grinned. "What will you be wearing?"

"Probably my normal apparel," he answered with a shrug. Then, he smiled and said, "Well, I might wear a darker tunic for the occasion. I hadn't really thought about that aspect of things until you just brought it up."

She rolled her eyes and snapped playfully, "Typical. Well, I need to get up and get ready for the day. I'm sure King Randor has expectations even if you don't, so I can't look like a slob during this announcement."

"That's impossible," he replied.

She laughed a little and exclaimed, "Well, I'm glad you think so, but you're biased!" She leaned forward, kissed him, and got out of bed. She grabbed her uniform off the floor and headed for the bathroom to change.

=)=)=)

Teela had decided not to join them for breakfast so she could get ready for court, which would have taken place shortly thereafter. He had found that out from Man-at-Arms when he had sat down in front of him in the dining room.

From that point forward, time seemed to slow down significantly. He kept groaning and glancing at the chronometer on the wall once they had gotten into the throne room. After the fifth time of him doing this, his father called out, "Court will get started soon enough, son. You're driving us crazy with all of the noises you're making over there."

He folded his arms in front of him and blushed a little. "I'm sorry, Father. I'm just ready for Teela to get here and for court to start so we can get this over with."

"I don't doubt that," he replied. He looked over to Man-at-Arms and said, "Duncan, we might as well let the courtiers in."

Adam looked around and spoke rapidly, "But Teela's not here, yet!"

"She'll be here when the time is right," stated Randor with a wink to his mother. Adam knew at that moment that his father must have gotten to Teela at some point and told her when to show up. His father planned on making this into a bigger spectacle than it needed to be. He expected as much, but he wished it hadn't included keeping him _away_ from Teela for so long.

As he had predicted, court happened pretty much the same way he had told Teela it would. His father had made several random announcements about things throughout the kingdom and then opened the floor for questions if they had any. Afterward, the courtiers were free to mingle with each other if they so wished.

He had been going from group to group greeting people for almost half an hour before his father finally stood and cleared his throat loudly to get everyone's attention. He held his hands up and said, "Friends, now that we've all socialized and said our hellos to everyone, I have a very important announcement to make, and of course, we wanted you to be the first ones to know."

He swallowed nervously as he looked for Teela. She still hadn't arrived.

Everyone was silent waiting for the king to tell them whatever he had to say. Instead, he turned to Adam and said, "Son, come to the throne, please."

As he approached, his mother and father descended the steps and met him at the bottom. He raised his brow at his father and whispered, "If we're going through all of this for just the courting announcement, what are you going to do when I get engaged?"

Randor laughed and replied softly, "Oh, it will be better than this, trust me."

He shook his head a little and turned around to face the crowd. He stood beside his father and searched for Teela one more time with no luck. He then turned his attention to his father as he spoke.

"I am very happy to announce the courtship of my son." There was a gasp and all of the women in court started whispering to themselves hurriedly. Randor held a hand up and the room silenced instantly. He smiled at his son and continued, "Prince Adam of Eternia has chosen to court a remarkable young woman that I have watched grow up right alongside him, and I have no doubt that she will make a fine princess and future queen."

He widened his eyes at his father. The short speech made this seem like an engagement more than anything else. The king suddenly turned to him and said, "Tell us who you have chosen, son."

He faced the crowd and stated confidently without missing a beat, "Lady Teela, Captain of the Royal Guard and Daughter of our Man-at-Arms."

More gasps were heard but they were suddenly drowned out by the sounds of the throne room doors opening loudly. Everyone turned around to see Man-at-Arms holding the door open. Standing in the threshold was Teela, and Adam found himself gaping at her right along with everyone else.

Teela looked like a princess. Literally. She was in a sleeveless light green dress, and it was so light that it was almost white. The bodice was tight on her torso but the skirt flowed out to the floor from her waist. Her long auburn hair was down but her bangs were held out of her eyes by a diamond-studded tiara that sat on the crown of her head.

He was suddenly glad he had chosen a fancier tunic and a pair of breeches instead of his usual ensemble. He would have definitely looked underdressed if he hadn't…and he was still lacking a little. His tunic was the rich red one he had told Teela about and his breeches were loose and a dark gray color.

"Well, go get her, son," his father whispered in his ear, breaking him out of the stupor Teela's presence had put him in.

The courtiers parted down the middle for him as he approached Teela. She grinned at him as he stepped forward and grabbed her hand which was covered by an extremely long white glove that went to her elbow. He smiled and whispered, "You look breathtaking, so beautiful."

"Thank your parents," she whispered back.

"I figured," he mumbled. He turned to face the court and tucked her hand around his arm as he led her to the front of the room.

Once they stood beside his parents, his father smiled brightly and announced, "Tonight we are going to have a royal ball to mark the occasion. All of you are invited to join us, of course."

The crowd started clapping enthusiastically. His father turned to him and winked before heading back up to sit on the throne. That was the sign that the announcement was over, so the courtiers took that opportunity to approach to congratulate them. Soon enough, the group dispersed and they all went back to the normal spots. Even Adam and Teela found themselves standing next to Man-at-Arms, but instead of commenting on politics like they usually did, they talked about themselves, the announcement, and the upcoming ball.

"Well, that was easier than expected," she mumbled softly. "All I had to do was show up in this."

He ran his eyes down her body in the most unnoticeable way he could manage. He knew Teela saw, though, since she was looking straight at him. "You do look amazing," he replied. "I definitely wasn't expecting it."

"But you like it, right?"

At that moment, he realized he no longer had to hide his feelings for Teela in public, so he brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek and answered, "I love it." He then bent and kissed her softly. The kiss was more than a mere meeting of the lips. Instead, Adam pressed his lips to her firmly and ran his tongue over her bottom lip lightly. When she opened her mouth, he pulled away with a grin. He wouldn't put on _that_ much of a display for the courtiers, but oh, he enjoyed Teela's response and the fact that she hadn't cared who saw them.

"I want you so much right now," he whispered in her ear as softly as he could. He didn't want Man-at-Arms to hear since he was standing right beside them.

She grinned wickedly and asked innocently, "Want to find a corner or an unoccupied balcony?"

His eyes almost protruded from his head and she laughed loudly. He suddenly knew she was teasing him and he smirked at her. "You better not play around like that. What if I had taken you up on your offer?"

"And risk your parents or the courtiers finding us? No, I don't think I had to worry about that," she replied smugly.

"Oh, really," he said, nodding a little and looking around. He then smiled innocently at her and mumbled, "To be continued." Before she could question what he meant, he asked casually, "So, I wasn't expecting a ball, but I think it's a nice surprise. What do you think?"

She shrugged. "Well, you know I'm not one for fancy social gatherings, but I suppose I'll have to get used to it. Besides, something tells me it's going to be a lot better now that I'll be on your arm instead of watching you dance with every woman in the room."

He smiled brightly and exclaimed, "Why, Teela, I do believe you sound a little jealous!" He leaned in closer and questioned softly, "Did you not like me dancing with other women?"

"Of course, I didn't," she replied as she glowered at the mere memories. "I often wished it had been me on those dance floors with you."

He pulled her into his arms and whispered, "You should have told me, Teela. I would have been attached to your hip all those nights if I had known."

She chuckled a little and stated, "But I think everything turned out for the best." She pulled back and stared at him. "This day, this moment, made it all worth it."

He brought one of her gloved hands to his lips and kissed it softly before motioning with his head for her to follow him. He led her to a nearby balcony that was attached to the throne room and saw a few couples out there. He cleared his throat and said, "Excuse me. I need to have a private word with…Lady Teela, but I can't leave the party. Would you be so kind as to give us a few minutes alone?"

The courtiers bowed or curtseyed and replied, "Yes, Your Highness." They went back into the throne room hurriedly, and as Teela stepped forward to go to the railing, Adam grabbed and held her to him. He leaned against the wall beside the throne room entrance so they wouldn't be seen.

She raised a brow questioningly in response to his actions, and he explained with a grin, "How about that? I found an unoccupied balcony. Continuation begins."

The widening of her eyes told him she realized what he was talking about.

She glanced around to obviously see if anyone was nearby as he moved her hair from her neck and began to kiss and suck on her skin just below her ear. She moaned a little and complained half-heartedly, "Adam, don't you think we're being just a tad bit impulsive? We might get caught any second."

He pulled back slightly and said, "You're the one who basically challenged me to do this. I guess that means I've won our little competition."

She narrowed her eyes. "What competition?"

He grinned, knowing he had her. Teela was very competitive and he knew it would be hard for her to admit defeat even if they both knew this was a ploy on his part to get on her nerves. "Oh, you know, keeping our word. You suggested that you wanted to find a corner or a balcony, and now that I've gotten one for us, you're backing out. That's not the Captain of the Guard that I know."

She narrowed her eyes even more but then said, "Fine. If you want to play it that way…" She quickly wrapped a hand around his neck to bring his lips to hers. She kissed him relentlessly, rolling her tongue around in numerous locations which left him breathless and wanting more. She then pressed her body to his and smiled as she gripped his backside teasingly. "Mmm, I don't miss the fur-pants a bit."

He moaned as he raked his lips down her throat and started kissing her skin above the neckline of her dress, but he suddenly stopped when he heard his father's voice. He tightened his hold on her and held a finger up as she opened her mouth to speak. Then, they could hear the conversation easily. They could tell his father was on the other side of the wall near the balcony entrance with someone from court.

"It is not my place to dictate my son's life. I refuse to do that," his father stated to whomever he was speaking to. He sounded slightly apologetic, which shocked the prince.

"Randor, we have been talking about this for quite some time. You liked the idea of merging our kingdoms."

Adam's jaw practically hit the floor as he recognized the voice: it was King Moraius from Morainia. The monarch had come to supposedly renew their peace treaty, but Adam hadn't realized that the king had any other interest in Eternos that day until now. He glanced at Teela as she looked up at him worriedly. "What are they talking about?" she whispered.

He shrugged because he didn't want to answer, but he knew. Merging their kingdoms could be done by three means: simply handing it over, taking it by force, or a marriage between the heirs of each kingdom. It was obvious his father and Moraius had plans for him to court and perhaps marry Princess Janice. He shook his head and paid attention again when he heard his father's reply.

"I never said that. What I said was if Adam liked Janice, I would have no problem with the union and merging our kingdoms. I told you I wouldn't oppose it—that's a big difference."

"Randor, you were willing to set up a meeting between the two of them. Adam likes Janice. I know he does. He's just confused, because he has the opportunity to live out one of his childhood fantasies. Captain Teela is a beautiful girl and I can see why he's infatuated by her, but they're from two different worlds. The union won't last. He would be much happier with someone of his own stature."

He heard his father clear his throat, and when he began to speak, Adam was shocked to hear that his father actually sounded a little angry. Moraius was one of his best friends, but of course, so was Man-at-Arms, and Teela was his daughter.

"My son met your daughter when he was nineteen and she was sixteen. I'll admit Adam spoke favorably of Janice when he came home from picking up those energy crystals. He spoke of her intellect and how no one had recognized how smart she was until He-Man and he had pointed it out to everyone. That's mainly the only things I heard about her from him. She hadn't transitioned out of that adolescent phase when they met. I'm sure Adam saw her as a very mature child. That's what I had gathered from our conversation. Now that Janice is a little older, I can see that she's grown and very much matured into a beautiful young woman that Adam might very well have looked at differently if he had seen her a few months ago, but he has already chosen to court Teela. And, as for them being from two different worlds, I resent that. Teela and Adam grew up together. She was never been treated inferiorly, and that's obvious from this very union. Adam loves her. He's loved her for many years, I suspect, so I am going to give them my full blessings. I already have."

"But Randor…"

"There's nothing else to discuss."

"Yes, there is! You don't hear the chatter yet, but I do. There are many people who are upset that Adam didn't choose among the aristocracy. I think they will try to cause problems for the young couple. Why not try to save Adam the heartache?"

Adam kissed Teela on the forehead when he saw her eyes swell with tears. He whispered, "I love you and I don't care what anyone says. I won't let them tear us apart." He silenced when he heard his father's response.

"Do you honestly believe that Adam will care about what those people think? He is my son, remember. I didn't care what any of you said about Marlena! Don't forget this family has been through this before and we persevered. Adam and Teela have even better odds because they will have Marlena and me beside them every step of the way. I appreciate your concern in this matter, and I am honored that you favor a union between our children, but I won't tell my son who he can and can't court. He's made his decision, so I'm going to support him. I'm sorry, Moraius."

No reply came. Instead, Adam heard the sounds of someone walking off rapidly. He stepped to the entrance and pulled Teela to his side. His father was standing alone sideways in front of him, shaking his head. The king saw the sudden movement out of the corner of his eye. He gasped as he turned and saw them. "Adam! Teela!" he exclaimed, worriedly.

Adam smiled at him and said quickly, "Thank you, Father. It means a lot to Teela and me to know that you're on our side if anyone has a problem with our relationship."

Randor stepped onto the balcony with them and sighed. "I wish you hadn't heard that. I was planning on handling any problems that arose and I still plan on doing that. I just want you two to focus on your courtship. I want you to have fun getting to know one another better and I want you to forget about everyone else and their opinions. I'll handle it."

Teela grimaced slightly and replied, "We might not be able to forget it. I'm sure they're going to let their opinions be known somehow."

Randor shook his head and stated, "The only person who has complained so far is Moraius. He says others have, but no one has come to me. He's just upset because he had gotten set on the idea of Janice marrying Adam." He looked at his son and then back at her. "But even if others do complain, which probably some will, don't let them ruin this time for you. Ignore it. I'll handle all of the official nonsense that they toss our way. Just live your life and enjoy yourselves."

Adam nodded and thanked him once more. When the king walked away, Adam escorted Teela back into the throne room.

"So, which one is Janice?" she asked casually, but Adam could tell she was still a little upset. Regardless, he knew he had to point her out. Otherwise, it would drive her crazy. He scanned the room hurriedly and soon pointed to his left. "See the girl with the yellow and brown dress standing next to a guy wearing similar colors."

She gulped audibly and whispered, "Yes."

He continued, "That's Janice and her brother." He studied Teela as she studied Janice and he could tell she didn't like what she saw. He looked back at Janice and saw immediately what his father had been talking about earlier. Yes, she had finally matured into a beautiful young woman. She still had her blonde hair and pale complexion that matched his, but she had grown taller…and filled out in certain places.

He cleared his throat a little and whispered, "Yes, she's a pretty girl, but she doesn't hold a candle to you, Teela. I don't love her. I never have and I never will. I love you and only you."

She turned to face him and nodded once in acceptance. He took her hand and placed it around his arm to escort her from the room. "Come," he stated with a brief kiss to her temple, "let's leave. We'll see these people tonight, so I'm sure Father won't mind if we slip out now. I want to spend a few hours with you alone."

They left the throne room, and Adam fervently prayed to the Ancients that what they had heard hadn't affected Teela negatively. He didn't want to lose her and he didn't know what he would do if he did.

When they turned the corner and were no longer in sight of the throne room, Teela quickly turned towards him, pushed him against the wall, and brought her hands around his shoulders to pull him to her. They kissed each other like their lives depended on it…

=)=)=)

_I'm not sure if the chapter is that good, but I'm sure you will let me know one way or the other. Unfortunately, I'll be going back to work this coming Monday, so my writing might slow down significantly. Don't worry, it will still be regular but all my stories won't be coming out back-to-back like it was for quite a while there. I hope to get a few more chapters out of my stories over the next couple of days. Of course, I am currently preparing to go back to work, too, with paperwork, etc., so we'll see. In any case, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_


	22. Chapter 22

_Just a little warning despite it being rated M anyway: this chapter gets a little heated._

Teela's Visitor Chapter 22

When he had first become He-Man almost two years ago, he had thought he would never be completely happy from that moment forward. He knew it was a horrible thought to have had, but he had known even then that he would always hate having to lie to his family and friends. He had also known he would hate all of the things that he would have to do to keep his secret. But since Teela and he had started seeing each other and she had become privy to his secret, he had found himself closer to absolute happiness than ever before.

Despite knowing her current reason for her frantic display of affection, he loved it every time Teela and he kissed. It was a miracle in his eyes, because for so long he thought it would never happen. He kissed her with every bit of passion that she was kissing him with at that moment. He held her tightly to him as he ran his hands down her sides and explored every crevice of her mouth. He only pulled away when they were both about to pass out from a lack of oxygen.

Breathing roughly, he rested his forehead against hers and whispered, "I love you." When she repeated his words, he pulled away and looked at her. "Are you okay?"

She stepped back from him slowly and dropped her hands to her sides. "Of course." She bit her lip for a second and then whispered, "I just realized a moment ago how lucky I am."

He grinned and asked teasingly, "What? You're lucky to be with me?"

He wiggled his brow at her and puffed his chest up in mock pride, but he soon deflated when he realized she was looking at him seriously.

"Quite frankly, yes," she replied. "Do you realize what might have happened if you and I hadn't expressed our feelings to one another?"

He shrugged.

"You might be with Princess Janice right now, preparing for your first date. You would be going through all of these courting rituals with her. And, I know you, Adam. You would have done it for your father if he had asked or suggested it."

He frowned for a moment and said, "Teela, I hate to point out when you're wrong, but I'm afraid I have to right now. You couldn't be more wrong!"

She cocked her brow at him and folded her arms in front of her. He knew she was thinking that he was about to make up some kind of story, but he was going to tell her the absolute truth.

"I know me, and I would not have started to court Janice until I found out how you felt about me." He swallowed roughly as he looked down at the ground. When he lifted his head again, he explained, "When royalty courts, it's pretty much expected that marriage is already in the talks. It's rare when a courting couple doesn't get married, and when they don't, there are usually extreme circumstances. I would not have consented to court Janice without being one hundred percent sure that you had no feelings for me. I might have had to build up my courage to tell you how I feel, but I have no doubt in my mind that I would do it for you."

He could tell from her sudden look of relief that she believed him. She slipped back into his arms and they hugged each other tightly.

"I'm afraid you would have been stuck with me, no matter what," he insisted softly. He kissed her forehead.

"Thank the Ancients for that," she mumbled before staring into his eyes gratefully as they resumed walking. "Do you think there will be others who will oppose our relationship?"

He shrugged. He didn't like discussing this topic, because he didn't want to give her any reasons to call things off, but keeping her in the dark on such matters might be just as damaging, especially if she found out the hard way from those very people. "It's possible," he answered; "Like father said, people complained when he started courting my mother, so I think the courtiers will complain no matter what. If I had chosen Janice, I'm sure they would find reasons to complain about that, too."

She nodded and replied, "Well, I hope they get over it quickly enough."

He frowned a little and closed his eyes for a moment, wishing he didn't have to tell her the truth. "Actually, it probably won't stop until we're married. By that point, they will simply have to accept it or risk being charged with treason, among other things."

She arched an eyebrow. "Would you really do that? Charge someone with treason because they didn't approve of me, I mean?" She seemed very surprised.

"Probably not," he whispered, leaning towards her, "but they don't need to know that. The only way I would is if they went to the extreme and actually did things to you or me to tear us apart. Then, I wouldn't hesitate, but I honestly don't believe things will go that far. It's just jealousy, trust me. Until we're married they'll be campaigning for us to break up…not all of them, but some of them."

"I bet I could name a few off the top of my head," she replied with a roll of her eyes. "Some of them have been drooling after you their whole lives."

"I could name some, too," he admitted with a frown.

At that moment, they finally arrived to her bedchambers and she turned around to face him. "So, do you want to come in?" she asked with almost a bashful smile.

He knew what that look meant: they could pick up where they had left off on the balcony. But, he had other ideas. Because his father had made the announcement, he was sure the news of their courtship was spreading throughout Eternos with lightning speed. "Nothing would please me more, but there is something else we must do before the ball tonight."

"What's that?" She seemed puzzled.

"Well, if I know the Guard and courtiers, which I do, they're already telling everyone about us. The commoners will know soon enough. That means if we aren't visible to them for several hours at least today, they will get a little crazy. They can at least catch glimpses of us if we're in the courtyard. Otherwise, some might even try to sneak into the ball."

She widened her eyes slightly and exclaimed, "Do you actually think someone would do that?"

"It's happened in other kingdoms to other princes and princesses. They don't mean any harm—it's typically teenagers who do such things, but I'd rather like to avoid that, if we can help it, anyway."

She sighed and with a shake of her head, she responded, "I suppose we have to. Well, what do you want to go and do?"

He stared at her innocently. "Well, I thought I'd let you decide. The reason I led you here beforehand is because I knew regardless of whatever was chosen, you probably wouldn't want to do it in that gown. I don't have anything planned really."

She looked down at her outfit and then grinned at him devilishly.

"_Uh, oh! I know that look!_" he thought to himself.

"No, I wouldn't," she agreed. "Wait right here. I think I know just the thing to help us pass the time as well as give others the opportunity to see us if they so wish." The conspiratorial grin remained on her face as she stepped into the room, but before she shut the door, she called out, "Better yet, you better go change into your normal attire, as well. You wouldn't want to mess that up. I'll meet you out in the hall in five minutes."

"Okay," he replied with a smile. He knew she was up to something. The question was whether he would like it or not. With her wanting him to change his clothes, he had a sneaking suspicion what she might suggest and he shook his head at the thought. It would be "so Teela."

=)=)=)

He stepped outside into the courtyard and immediately used his hand to shelter his eyes. It was midday and the sun was shining brightly without a cloud in the sky. It was beautiful day and he hoped it would be even better than the day before. Even though Skeletor had attacked Castle Grayskull and he had made the unfortunate mistake of trying to read his mind, the day had still ended well. Teela and he had shared even more with one another and he had fallen asleep with her beside him. Today, he hoped He-Man wouldn't be needed. He wanted to be just Prince Adam and enjoy the first official day of his courtship with Teela.

"_Is that asking too much_?" he questioned silently as Teela stepped to his side.

"I'm going to go get some equipment!" she announced excitedly. It turned out that he was right earlier—Teela had wanted to do the very thing he had suspected. She wanted to give him a combat lesson. He smiled to himself amusedly as he realized her knowing he was He-Man wouldn't get him out of this routine. Truthfully, he was glad. He couldn't count how many times a move he had learned from Teela had saved his life or someone else's. Both Adam and He-Man used them.

"Do you want me to come help?" he asked as he watched her walk off.

She turned around and seemed to scrutinize him. "I'm not sure," she said as though she were pondering something very perplexing. She tapped her chin several times and continued, "The question is if I let you help me, will we come back outside in a timely manner?"

He laughed heartily. He understood her contemplation. The equipment room had seemingly become their make-out spot over the last several days. Every time he had helped her put things away, they had ended up in each other's arms, among other things. To answer her, he shrugged with his smile shining almost as brightly as the sun. "That is the question, isn't it?" he asked happily.

She continued to stare at him for a few seconds more and then stated, "Oh, what the heck. Come on."

He grinned evilly as she walked away. Now, he would definitely have to make sure that room lived up to expectations.

As soon as Teela walked into the room, she headed directly for the mats that were propped up against the wall. "That looks promising," he said aloud to tease her.

She shot a sly look behind her shoulder and snapped playfully, "Behave."

He tried to wipe the grin off of his face, so he would at least appear to be annoyed with her, even though he really wasn't. "Who is the prince and who is the captain here?" he questioned as peevishly as he could.

He was surprised that she didn't have an immediate retort; instead, she finished pulling the mats down and then turned to face him. She looked him up and down and said, "I know you are inexperienced when it comes to matters between a man and a woman, but I never realized you were _that_ bad."

He watched as she tried to keep a grin off her face. It wasn't working very well. He didn't bother to hide his anymore. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged and said, "Well, if you don't know the difference between the prince who happens to be a man and the captain who happens to be a woman, then you're definitely over your head!" As soon as she was through speaking, she squealed in delight and he knew why. His jaw immediately dropped open.

"Why you!" he exclaimed as he ran to her and took the mats out of her hand. He tossed them on the floor and then stated with a raspy voice, "Oh, I do know the difference, but since you are questioning my ability, I suppose I'll need to demonstrate by examining things a little more closely."

Now, she squealed because he suddenly pulled her to him roughly and immediately ran his hand up her waist to her chest. He chuckled to himself a little as his hand made contact with her armor that covered her breasts since she was back in her uniform. He winked at her and said, "So far, my findings are inconclusive because this shaped armor could be a trick."

She laughed loudly at that and slapped him on the chest. "Adam, you nut!"

He shrugged and whispered, "Well, I do have to get you out of that somehow."

She stepped away from him and folded her hands across her chest. "Surely you know if this comes off, we won't make it to the courtyard in a timely manner and that will have defeated your whole purpose for leaving court early."

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. "Well, would you rather do this…" He kissed her upper chest above her cleavage as he held her in a reclined position. "…here? Or would you rather do it out there?"

It seemed like she was no longer playing as her hazel eyes turned a dark green and her face grew serious. "Here," she gasped as he continued to hold her.

He smiled as he simply dropped to one knee and carried her down the rest of the way. He laid her down on the mat and he raked his eyes up and down her body. "Now, let's see," he mumbled loud enough so she could hear; "Where was I? Oh, yes I was verifying that you were a female." His smile widened into a grin as he slipped his hand on the side of her knee and started traveling upward.

As he stopped on her hip and then started moving to grip her inner thigh, she gasped. His smile widened into a grin as he moved his hand back to her hip and traveled upward even more. He couldn't help but chuckle when he noticed Teela's annoyed and very disappointed expression. "All in good time," he whispered; "I do believe I was testing this area first."

He ran his hand to the side of her armor just under left arm and pushed the hidden release button. She hadn't told him where it was located, but he had watched her take it off and put it on a couple of times recently when she thought he was busy looking at other things. He wiggled his eyebrows at her astonished appearance and questioned, "Are you proud?"

As soon as she nodded, he sat her up and lifted the armor from her body slowly. Once he set it off to the side, he didn't waste any time moving his eyes across the area he was supposed to studying. "Hmm, you do seem to be a female…"

She immediately interrupted him and snapped, "Oh, for the love of Eternia, Adam, skip the acting bit and do something!"

Her cry and demand did crazy things to his body. His eyes shot up to hers as his entire body pulsed and throbbed with desire. He took a deep breath and informed her, "You don't know what you do to me, Teela." The truth was she didn't know how appealing she was to him when she was forceful and demanding. He knew why she was at those times, but he wasn't sure if she would approve…

After He-Man had come into existence and Teela had become a lot bossier and critical of him, he had thought once or twice about silencing her in those moments with a few demanding and forceful moves of his own and his ideas had never included anything verbal. Despite him remembering that rare and old desire, he did as she asked and moved very tenderly over her stomach and up to her chest. He cupped one of her breasts with his right hand before moving his fingers over her slowly.

She immediately moaned and he smiled in response before moving his hand to do the same to the other. He did this several times, alternating from one breast to the other, until finally he began squeezing and pinching her lightly. She arched her chest towards him as her neck fell back and he quickly took that opportunity lean over her. He kissed her between her breasts for a moment before he moved his hand to the edge of her bodysuit above her breast. He looked at her face cautiously, as he began to pull the material down. Because the strap was still on her shoulder, it lifted her exposed breast higher than a bra would have.

Despite his intense desire to look at his handiwork, he kept his eyes on hers. "Is that okay?" he asked. He knew that she would know he was referring to what he had just done.

"No," she whispered lightly, and he immediately widened his eyes in a near panic.

"Oh!" he exclaimed worriedly. "I'm sorry. I should have asked. He moved his hand to pull her suit back up when she reached a hand out to stop him.

"What I meant," she whispered, "is that it's not okay that you're not taking advantage of your actions yet."

Letting out an extraordinary amount of air that he had gathered into his lungs, he looked up at the ceiling and shook his head. When he looked back down and met her eyes with his, he said, "You have no idea how badly you just scared me. I thought I had ruined things already—I would have been apologizing for at least the next year."

She lifted a hand to his face and comforted him by saying, "You can never ruin things by loving me, Adam. Everything you do is done out of love. I know that, so I trust you and I will willingly go wherever you take us."

He gulped loudly. He caught the message loud and clear. She was okay with his actions, and she would be even if he began to make love to her in the truest sense, as well. He wouldn't be going that far, because they had made the decision to wait, but it meant a lot to him to know she was willing if he thought they were ready. After breathing deeply to calm himself, he leaned over her once more to kiss her lightly.

He didn't stay there long however because he didn't want to delay what she had so desperately wanted earlier. He kissed his way down her neck and made a beeline for her exposed breast. Kissing up the mound slowly, he finally made it to his target and began to lick and suck relentlessly as he squeezed and teased her with his fingers at the same area on her other still-covered breast.

"Adam," she gasped as she arched herself to him even more. She ran both of her hands through his hair several times before she moaned and exclaimed, "Ancients, I want you so badly."

He tore himself from his task and grinned at her. He then moved to her other breast, uncovered it like he had done with the other, and repeated his earlier actions with this one. Soon enough, though, he was rubbing his lips back up her neck to her mouth. They kissed for several minutes deeply as she ran her hands up and down his body.

When he pulled away, he was just about to tell her that he loved her when he felt the Sorceress' presence enter his mind. "_This is one of those moments where I'd rather not have you in here_," he stated silently.

"_I am sorry to disturb you and Teela, Prince Adam, but I must see you at Castle Grayskull immediately. There is an urgent matter I must discuss with you right away._"

He looked at Teela and saw that she was looking at him questioningly. He knew she could tell something was wrong.

He sighed and asked silently, "_Is it Skeletor_?"

"_No,_" she answered almost hesitantly, "_it's about the future…my future. I need to speak with you, Adam_!"

Feeling the severity of her request, he pulled away from Teela completely. He was worried, because the Sorceress didn't seem too happy. _"I'm on my way, Sorceress_," he replied. He glanced at Teela once more as she also sat up and touched his shoulder comfortingly.

Before he could say anything to Teela to explain his actions, the Sorceress said one last thing before she receded from his mind: "_Please come alone._"

As soon as he was sure the Sorceress was no longer present in his mind, he turned back to Teela and whispered, "I'm so sorry. The Sorceress just contacted me."

She nodded and replied, "I could tell something was happening." After a worried pause, she asked, "Is everything all right?"

He answered truthfully. "I don't know for sure, but I don't think so. She wants me to come see her…alone."

She glanced to the equipment room door and asked softly, "You will make it back in time for the ball, right? Who knows what people will say if you miss your own party that's celebrating our union!"

He nodded and kissed her hurriedly. "Yes, I'll be back in time. I promise."

He stood and extended his hand to pull her up, as well. "I'm sorry to have ruined our evening again."

She shook her head. "Never say that," she whispered. "Your Eternia's Champion and the Prince of Eternia on top of that. I have a feeling that constant interrupting and changing of plans comes with the territory. I even experience that as Captain of the Guard." She kissed him on the lips one last time. "I understand. Now hurry up and leave, so you can come back quickly."

He nodded worriedly again and squeezed her side gratefully for a moment before he walked away.

=)=)=)

_I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm going back to work tomorrow, but I plan on updating this story and my others again really soon. I haven't proofread this yet, but I have something that I need to do. I'll come back later to fix typos, clarify any confusing passages, or do anything else the story might need. If you see anything until that time, please forgive me. It might not be until tomorrow afternoon until I can take another look at it, but I wanted to post it anyway!_


	23. Chapter 23

Teela's Visitor Chapter 23

It was almost like a scene from one of those Shakespearean plays that his mother had told him about when he was younger: the skies around Castle Grayskull were dark and crackling with lightning and thunder. The wind was howling, almost as if it were a person who was in pain. It was almost frightening…maybe it was to some. Animals that were at the edge of the Evergreen Forest were scurrying away in the opposite direction. He was the only one actually going towards the castle.

His mother had told him a couple of times in the past that in Shakespearean dramas, the weather reflected what was going on within the play. While he knew this was real life and weather didn't make its feelings on recent events known, he couldn't help but feel that the weather was somehow fitting. He hadn't wanted to scare Teela earlier, so he hadn't shown the true amount of apprehension that he had actually felt.

The truth was he was downright scared. When the Sorceress had touched his mind earlier, he had felt her nervousness, and it was something that had never filtered through before to that degree. That gave him more than enough reason to worry.

When he finally arrived and stopped the AttakTrak, the castle immediately dropped its drawbridge for him. Without delay, he walked quickly into the castle and made his way to the Sorceress' throne room.

=)=)=)

She sat on top of her throne, and she looked like her usual self for the most part…except for her eyes. Yes, the eyes were most telling. They were slightly downturned and almost had a dark shadow to them.

"Sorceress?" he called out questioningly. Usually, when he walked inside her throne room, she would address him right away somehow. This time she hadn't moved a muscle and that further exacerbated his feelings on what was about to happen. When she still didn't acknowledge him, he looked around worriedly. He started to ascend the throne's steps, but as soon as he planted both feet on its base, his senses became engulfed with the thoughts of another:

_He knew where he was—he had been there once before. He was among the ruins of Dark Mountain and that could only mean one thing: Morgoth. He ran frantically through the shattered rocks and fallen debris to the location where he had once stood with the Sorceress to fight the evil wizard. When he finally got to the scene his eyes met with a sight too horrible to bear._

_He saw himself as He-Man lying on the ground unconscious next to a fallen Teela. The Sorceress stood over them and he could tell she was badly injured. She seemed to be favoring her right leg as she shielded them with her body. She shot an energy bolt at the villain and while it had fazed him, it had only done so for a mere second. _

"_You are weak, Sorceress!" shouted Morgoth. "You no longer have enough power to fight me! Finally, I am to be free and claim what is rightfully mine: Eternia!"_

_Adam watched the scene and looked to the ground at He-Man. "Get up!" he yelled but he knew it was pointless. He knew no one could hear him. He was merely present in a vision. It wasn't happening yet. And, for that very reason, he was shocked to see what happened next. _

_The Sorceress in the vision turned around and looked him dead in the eye. "Stop this," she said before a red light descended from the sky and obliterated her before his very eyes! _

"_No!" he yelled frantically. He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed and it was at that moment that he noticed He-Man was finally getting up to stand…_

He felt himself falling out of the Sorceress' mind and just as he found himself merging with his own consciousness again, something else grabbed him:

_A little boy about five years old chased a green-and-gold baby tiger around the courtyard. Adam smiled as he watched the scene. His immediate thought was that the two were him and Cringer when they were younger, but upon further reflection he realized that couldn't be the case. He was much older when he had first discovered Cringer. His pet hadn't even been born yet when he was five._

_He walked closer to the boy and stared at his face. It was one he had never seen before, but he looked incredibly like him._

"_A.J.!" he heard a familiar voice call from inside the palace. He turned and watched in shock as he saw a slightly older version of himself walk outside. His eyes immediately zoomed in on the crown that his future self was wearing. A feeling of cold dread settled in his stomach when he realized this wasn't too far away in the future. He was still young and he was already king. His father was nowhere near the right age to step down, so that could only mean one thing…_

"_No," he whispered to himself._

_He continued to watch as his future self called for A.J. one more time and suddenly the child sprung out from behind a tree and yelled, "Daddy!" Both the boy and the kitten ran towards King Adam merrily, but all three stopped dead in their tracks and smiles faded when they heard the cries of a falcon above._

_The boy looked up and so did both Adam's. "Mommy?" he heard A.J. ask._

_Adam gaped at who was obviously his son and watched as King Adam pulled him into his arms. "No, it's just a falcon. It's not her." Tears swelled in the king's eyes as he stared into the sky again and the boy cried in his arms._

He opened his eyes and tears slipped down his cheeks slowly. The Sorceress kneeled beside him and asked, "Adam, are you all right?"

"I hardly know," he answered honestly. He sat up and swallowed roughly. After several moments of breathing deeply, he was able to think again and questioned, "Are you okay?"

She nodded and replied, "I think so. For several hours now, I have been receiving visions from the castle of Morgoth. I think I'm witnessing my death."

Adam nodded and replied, "I think I saw it, too. When I came in you were in a trance or something. You wouldn't speak to me. I started to go to you and…these visions overwhelmed my mind. I saw Morgoth make you disappear in a bright light but not before you turned around to face me, not myself in the vision, and told me to stop it."

The Sorceress nodded. "Yes, that's what I've been seeing, too…to the very detail."

He looked down at the ground for a moment and shifted his eyes from side to side several times before he asked softly, "Did you see anything else? You know, after that?"

She looked at him oddly. "No. Why? Did you?"

He nodded. "I saw…me in the palace courtyard. I have a son."

The Sorceress smiled with a nod and whispered. "A.J. Your mother will give him that nickname the day he's born after Teela names him."

Tears flooded his eyes as he exclaimed, "So, Teela is his mother! I thought so from my vision, but…there are so many things that I don't understand."

"The Elders only provide me with short moments in time. I never get a full picture, and for whatever reason they have given you a vision, I'm sure you didn't get a full picture either."

"No, I didn't," he agreed. "In the vision, my son and I heard a falcon and A.J. questioned whether it was his mother. It wasn't…and we both cried." He paused for a moment as a few tears fell. "What does that mean?"

"I haven't seen that vision, Adam," she replied softly. "This is the first I'm hearing of it, but if I had to take a guess, I think your vision is dependent upon mine."

He raised his brow questioningly.

"Because you were allowed to see my vision and you saw one of your own after you had seen mine, I believe yours will happen only if mine happens. After all, if I disappear and another who is worthy has not shown up to take my place, the castle will seek to make Teela its guardian. It will not matter that she has a life and child with you. You wouldn't have much choice…and I'm afraid just like I didn't want Teela to be raised in this castle with all the potential dangers it possesses inside and out, she will want A.J. to be raised elsewhere, as well."

A few more tears slipped down his cheeks as he considered all the horrible news the visions had given him: the Sorceress was dead, Teela had taken her place, they had a son together that he was practically raising alone, they both missed her terribly, and his father was dead or at the very least in a condition where he was unable to rule. That very much was a future they had to stop. The only question was how!

He snapped his head to the Sorceress and asked, "When will this confrontation with Morgoth take place?"

She shrugged and said, "It seems to be several years from now and that's what has me confused. Why are we getting these visions so ahead of time? It tells me that something much sooner will occur that will cause that future. We just have to keep our eyes open to figure out what that something is."

Adam nodded determinedly. Now that he knew for certain that he had a future with Teela and that they would have a family with one another, he was not going to let Morgoth take that away from him. He would find a way to stop it from happening. He had to—there was no other choice!

=)=)=)

A few hours later, Adam stepped into his bedchambers and stared at a garment bag that was placed on his bed. It was from the Royal Seamstress. Without a doubt, his mother was behind this and undoubtedly whatever was in the bag was something that would match Teela's outfit…

If this had happened earlier, he would have been amused, but now all he felt was a dull pain as he thought about the future. What if he couldn't stop the future that they were now heading towards? What if the Sorceress really died at the hands of Morgoth, which would cause Teela to become the Sorceress of Grayskull? He didn't want to have these thoughts, because it was making him question everything. Was it fair to bring a child into the world when he knew the boy would pine for his mother, that he would have such sadness? Was that even a question he was allowed to ask himself? He needed an heir—there was no question about that, and when he thought about children, he could only imagine Teela being their mother. But…did that make it right?

He sat down on the bed and buried his face in his hands.

In the end, he realized that there was no way he could make the decision not to have A.J. It wasn't because he needed an heir, though. It was because he already loved the little boy that he had seen in the vision, and his son had looked happy when he was playing with his tiger. There were obviously happy moments in the child's life as well as despair, just like in any normal life. He had no doubt that if he fixed this problem, it would be replaced by another burden…but hopefully, the next one would be a little more bearable.

And, he had to believe that's what would happen. He would fix this somehow.

Feeling confident once more, he took a deep breath and grabbed the bag beside him. He unzipped it and smiled at the outfit inside. His parents were pulling out all the stops tonight and he was glad. He needed to get his mind off of everything for a little while. He just wanted to enjoy being with Teela and not let the pressures of the future make him question their relationship. All he knew was that he loved her and he didn't want to be with anyone else. So, he was determined to see this courtship through—he was determined to marry her…and then they would handle whatever happened from there together. After all, he was shown these visions so he could change that future. And, with the Sorceress and the powers of Castle Grayskull behind him, as well as Teela, he knew he could do it.

=)=)=)

_Yes, this was a short chapter, but hopefully you found it interesting. =) I'm proud of myself that I actually managed to find the time to write this with all the things I have to do now that I'm back at work, haha. With that being said, if there are horrible mistakes in there, please forgive me like last time. In any case, Morgoth is from the episode "The Origin of the Sorceress," just to give a frame of reference._


	24. Chapter 24

Teela's Visitor Chapter 24

Once again it seemed as though his parents were keeping Teela away from him. How had Teela described their inevitable courtship once before? Oh, yeah: public displays of no affection. She was definitely right about that one. He found it ironic that announcing their courtship was supposed to open things up to them so they could spend more time together publicly, but it was doing quite the opposite. He had seen her far less today than he normally did…and that included the time before they had even become a couple, in fact.

And, today was definitely not a day he wanted to be away with her.

He thought about what he had seen in his earlier visions. As much as he worried about the Sorceress, his mind kept drifting to the little boy with blond hair and blue eyes.

A.J. He felt like his heart would burst open at any moment.

His son didn't even exist yet and it was possible that he wouldn't. The Sorceress did say that nothing was certain since decisions could easily change the future, but he hoped A.J. was one thing that would remain the same after they stopped Morgoth. He smiled as he thought about the way the boy had chased after his tiger and laughed in the courtyard when he had hidden from his father. Having a son seemed so surreal, and it was since he really wasn't a father yet, but he loved the little boy nonetheless. He couldn't wait to meet him.

He stood before his mirror and looked at the ensemble his parents had picked out for him. It was nothing like his usual attire at all, but he was actually glad of that. Because he was He-Man, he had adopted a more foppish style than he actually liked. Pink and lavender were definitely not his colors. It washed him out since he was already a pretty pale guy…and of course, that was another thing being He-Man caused. He enjoyed taking naps outside with Cringer when he could, but he always had to do it under a shade because he didn't want to risk getting a tan and looking too much like He-Man. Heck, he even took his natural voice up an octave to make sure he didn't sound like He-Man at all. He didn't even remember what his real voice sounded like or if he could even talk that way now.

He shook his head and immediately rid himself of those thoughts. Now was not the time to muse on the things that He-Man had made him do. Tonight was about Prince Adam and Teela.

Starring at his own outfit, he tried to imagine what Teela's dress would look like. It was practically impossible to know, but he had no doubt that they would look fantastic together since his parents wanted everything to be perfect. He was wearing a black pair of slacks with shiny black boots. His shirt was a dark cobalt that was somewhat tight across his torso to show off his physique but loose about the arms. The sleeves extended to his wrists in a plume.

The color did amazing things with his eyes: when he had first glanced at the mirror after getting dressed, his eyes had immediately grabbed his attention. They stood out brilliantly. He hoped Teela liked the look, because he was thinking seriously of switching over to something like this from this point forward. After all, people wouldn't connect this with He-Man. They would probably think the change was because of Teela and in a way, it was true.

He walked over to his bedroom door and opened it. He figured he'd go to the throne room to see what his parents were up to since Teela had seemingly dropped off the face of Eternia again. He had to keep his mind busy to forget about the visions and to pass the time until he saw Teela once more.

=)=)=)

If he had known what sights he would have been greeted with as soon as he walked into the throne room, he would have shown up a long time ago. He stepped inside, immediately went to his left, and leaned against the wall to watch the proceedings without disturbing anyone. Besides himself, there were only two other people in the room:

Man-at-Arms and Teela.

He was glad Teela had seemingly put aside her anger to actually spend a little time with her father. He had no doubt that she had done it for what she would call "the greater good." They appeared to be going over various dances, so he assumed Teela felt she need to brush up on her skills. Regardless of the reason, he was happy, because he didn't want to be the cause of any animosity between the two. He grinned as they started over and he heard Duncan counting steps for Teela. She started to lift her foot to step forward, but Duncan warned her with a little "tsk" not to move. Adam wanted to laugh because he should have known that Teela would want to lead instead of follow. He had danced with Teela once or twice before and she had done okay, but those opportunities weren't too often because she claimed she didn't like to dance. Now, he had a suspicion it was because she wasn't too comfortable doing it.

He watched as Teela and her father moved with the music and when Man-at-Arms stepped outward and twirled her, Adam's eyes met hers. She immediately gasped and stepped away from her father a little. Duncan quickly looked at him, as well, and Adam grinned. "Please don't let me interrupt you. I was just looking for Mother and Father when I saw you practicing." He walked forward and approached Teela.

He looked her up and down when he reached her and whispered, "You look amazing." As suspected, her dress did match his attire. It was a blue velvet dress with black patterns that almost seemed to resemble flowers when looked at in certain directions. It was beautiful against her creamy skin and made a nice contrast with her red hair. He could almost forget himself just looking at her, but instead, her father grabbed his attention.

Man-at-Arms chuckled a little and when they turned to look at him, he said with a big grin, "You tell us not to let you interrupt us, but then you come over and make it impossible to ignore you."

He felt his cheeks get hot in embarrassment. "I'm sorry," he said, backing away but Teela wrapped her arm around his waist and gave Man-at-Arms a steely glare.

"Father," she snapped.

Duncan continued to grin and looked at him. "I don't blame you, son." After a few seconds, he added, "As a matter of fact, I'm glad you're here. I think Teela would feel more at ease dancing tonight if she practiced with you a little ahead of time. What do you think?"

He immediately grinned. "I agree." He looked at Teela, but she didn't notice because she was still glaring at Duncan.

"Father, we were practicing so Adam wouldn't know how horrible I am at this!" she exclaimed.

He tightened his hold around her and responded to her before Man-at-Arms could. "We've danced together before. You're not horrible…besides, don't underestimate my skills as a dance partner."

He immediately worked his arms around her and easily got her in the position to dance. Without counting, he simply caught the rhythm of the music and began to lead her. Staring into his eyes, she followed his movements with ease. "You see, it's easy," he said after dancing for a little while and noticing that she hadn't stumbled once. The music then ended, and he immediately backed away and bowed at her as she followed suit by curtseying.

She grinned happily and said, "I think it's easy because I'm dancing with you." She paused for a moment and looked down a little shyly before she looked back up at him. When he looked at her questioningly, she explained, "The few times we danced together in the past, I had to concentrate to not look into your eyes. I thought for sure you would see how I felt about you and then we'd lose our friendship…and I didn't want to dance with anyone else, you see, so I started to hate the thought of dancing all together."

"Oh, Teela," he said, stepping forward again. He brushed his hand against her cheek and leaned down to kiss her lightly. "I wish you would have told me all of this back then. I feel like so much time has been wasted."

Then, unbidden, his thoughts returned to his vision of the future. If what he had seen came to pass, the time they had unintentionally wasted would be even more unbearable to think about. He breathed deeply to hold back the tears, but it didn't do any good.

"Adam, what's wrong?" she asked despite that he was sure no tears appeared in his eyes.

He forced himself to smile a little and stated softly, "It's nothing that needs to be mentioned tonight. We'll talk about it later. I want to enjoy tonight and simply be with you."

She studied him for a moment and asked, "Promise we'll talk about it later?"

Without hesitation, he nodded. He didn't know at this point how much he would tell her, but he knew he wouldn't be able to keep this from her. It was her future, too, after all, and it would bother him more if he couldn't talk to her about it. Surely, the Sorceress wouldn't mind. Teela was already privy to the secret of He-Man, so knowing about his visions should be okay as well.

Duncan squeezed his shoulder and asked, "Are you sure it's something that can wait?"

He nodded again and stated firmly, "It will have to. Nothing is going to ruin this night for Teela and me. I've waited too long for this."

Teela wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

=)=)=)

The ball had already begun thirty minutes ago, and Prince Adam and Teela were the only ones who hadn't arrived yet. It was custom for the new couple to arrive stylishly late so they could make a grand entrance in front of everyone. Everyone was there to see them supposedly: Adam knew that there were other reasons, which were mainly political, for a lot of them, but this was still an important night for their courtship. He wanted to do it right.

He approached Teela's door and brushed his knuckles against it. "Teela, it's time," he mumbled softly. After Teela and he had finished dancing earlier, he had escorted her back to her room, so she could finish getting ready for the ball. She had claimed she had other accessories to put on and she had someone coming to do her hair, so he was anxious to see her. He knew she would look even more stunning.

When the door opened, he saw that he was right. "Beautiful," he whispered just loud enough that she could hear him.

She grinned and replied, "I'm glad you think so." She was still wearing the same dress, but her hair was down with the sides pulled back with a tiara like she had done before, but now it tumbled down her back in soft curls. As for her accessories, she wore black gloves that covered her forearms, and she wore a dark blue gemmed necklace and earrings that matched her dress. Not only that, her makeup was slightly darker than usual to match the darker ensemble. She actually looked a little dangerous…

He grinned at the thought. She surely did bewitch him and make him do things he wouldn't consider with anyone else.

"What are you grinning at?" she asked seductively. It was obvious she had an idea.

"You," he answered. "I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have you on my arm tonight." He leaned down and kissed her lightly, but their passion quickly grew when Teela wrapped her arms around his neck. He moved a little to press her against the side of the door and they stayed there for several long enjoyable moments. He was conscious enough not to mess up her hair or makeup, though.

When they pulled apart, he moved to the side and wrapped one of her arms around his. "We better go now or we'll never get there. Believe me, I know my father and he will send half the Guard to find us if we take much longer."

She nodded without comment, trying to gather her wits after their intense kissing session. He led her to the ballroom quickly. The doors were still open and he stepped to the doorman just outside the room and said, "Prince Adam of Eternia escorting Lady Teela."

The doorman bowed and said, "Yes, Your Highness." He then walked away to go inside and address the attendees.

Adam turned to Teela and whispered, "This is it: your debut as the prince's girlfriend. If you're not sure, this is your time to back out."

She smirked at him and he grinned. Then, he heard their cue: their doorman yelled out across the throngs of people, "Presenting Prince Adam of Eternia accompanying Lady Teela."

Before they even stepped into the room, Adam recognized the sound of everyone moving in tandem to face the entrance. Taking a deep breath, he led Teela inside and stood at the top of the steps for a second before turning with as much grace as he could muster to the left. Carefully, he helped Teela down the steps. Once they reached the floor, the guests started clapping. When he nodded and fanned his hand out to gesture that they could go back to their activities, the music started again and people went back to dancing.

Leading her across the room on the edge of the dance floor, he approached his father's dinner table. His parents and Man-at-Arms was already seated there. He pulled out a chair for Teela and then sat down after she did.

King Randor raised an eyebrow at them and inquired, "You're not going to dance?"

He nodded and whispered, "We will. I just wanted to give everyone a chance to get used to us being here. You know, if they want to stare at us for a while, they can do it at a distance and not run into us as we're dancing." When his mother chuckled, he exclaimed, "It's true! You know it will happen!"

"Oh, I know," she agreed. "Randor and I made that mistake after we had gotten married. I'm glad to see that you have a bit more common sense than we did, Adam."

He laughed, especially when his father's cheeks turned red. Then, figuring he would help the king avoid further embarrassment, he replied, "Well, to be fair, I've heard you and other royals tell plenty of horror stories about your courtships over the years. I paid attention, so I could avoid those things when my time rolled around."

Teela squeezed his hand and said gratefully, "And, I'm glad you did."

He nodded at her with a grin as a waiter came over to ask what they wanted for dinner. Eventually though, while they were waiting for their meal to be prepared, Adam finally rose from his seat and bowed at Teela. While still bent, he met her eyes with his and asked, "May I have this dance, my lady?"

She smiled softly and answered, "Of course, Your Highness." She winked at him as his smile widened. He straightened his posture as he extended his hand to her and pulled her to her feet.

=)=)=)

_I know, I know—this is a somewhat uneventful chapter. I did have plans to take this further and I will, but it will have to be done in another chapter. I am leading to something quite interesting, I believe. I wish I could have gotten to it tonight, but it's getting late and I have to get up early in the morning to get to work earlier than normal. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. =) _


	25. Chapter 25

Teela's Visitor Chapter 25

Never in all of the years that he had daydreamed about Teela did he ever believe his imaginings could become a reality, and yet they were. He was holding Teela in his arms as they swayed together slowly to a song about everlasting love. The moment was utterly perfect—he stared into Teela's eyes and saw the love that shined brightly in them as she smiled at him. He could see nothing else, only her. Everything and everyone else just faded away as he guided her effortlessly on the dance floor. He loved her so much.

The song ended all too quickly, and the crowd clapped as they turned to the live band that his parents had hired for the night. Adam and Teela didn't clap. They merely continued to stare at one another and it took them a couple of seconds to realize that the band was taking a break and people were leaving the dance floor. The couple blushed a little and laughed at each other. "Would you like something to drink?" asked Adam as he escorted her back to the table. Drinks did come with their meal, but it hadn't arrived yet. Refreshments were on the other side of the room.

When he pulled out the chair for her and she sat down, she looked up and nodded. "If you're going to get yourself something, I won't complain if you bring me something back." He grinned and bowed flawlessly before he turned around and walked across the room.

He didn't cut in line like he had the right to do; he waited patiently to get to the punchbowl, but once he arrived, he found himself in a situation that he would have rather avoided. Princess Janice stood nearby and was talking to the waitress serving the refreshments. When he came to stand beside her, she exclaimed, "Prince Adam! It's so good to see you again!"

He smiled politely. He knew she probably didn't know what their fathers had discussed earlier. For all he knew, she might not even know that her father had been playing matchmaker, so he refused to treat her any differently than he had before. "Hello, Janice," he greeted.

She fanned her hand out over the festivities and remarked, "This is a beautiful party. Teela sure is one lucky girl."

He flashed Janice a genuine grin and replied, "Trust me, I'm the lucky one. I never thought in a million years this night would come and now that it has…it's like a dream."

Janice looked down at her cup as Adam moved aside to let the line continue. He stood beside her and commented, "I'm glad you and your brother could come with your father to see Eternos. When I was in Morainia, I was captivated by its beauty—I hope Eternos was worth looking at. It might not be as beautiful, but it's…"

"Oh, it's a beautiful city, Adam," she interrupted. "It is so different from Morainia, but that's a good thing. I like the warmth here, whether it's the colors or the weather." Silence soon developed, so Adam decided to take that opportunity to leave.

"Well, I should get this to Teela…" he began, but he cut himself off when he heard her next words.

"You know this ball was planned weeks ago."

Startled, he lifted his brow and widened his eyes a little. He shook his head and countered, "I don't see how that is possible. Father didn't know about Teela and me until several days ago. He couldn't have been planning this ball for weeks."

When Janice sighed, he suddenly knew what she meant and he hoped desperately that she wouldn't explain. He didn't want the situation to get any more awkward than it already was now. No such luck.

"Our fathers wanted to throw this ball, because they wanted you and me to…interact."

He looked down as he realized he had no choice but to talk about the sudden presence of the elephant in the room. He admitted, "I overheard our fathers speaking earlier today. I heard that they had favored a union between our kingdoms through a possible courtship…between us." He looked up at her. "I'm honored that your father believed me to be worthy of courting you. Trust me when I say I had no idea your father looked so favorably upon me."

She smiled a little sadly and suggested, "Well, it probably had something to do with the fact that his daughter looked so favorably upon you."

Silence once again grew at that comment. Adam shifted on his feet restlessly. He knew what her words meant: she had known about her father's plans to set up a courtship between them. Not only had she known, she was okay with the prospect. For all he knew, _she_ might have been the one to have initially suggested it to her father. He swallowed and replied, "I'm…flattered…but I love Teela." He gripped the cups in his hands a little tighter and then announced, "She needs her drink. It was nice talking to you, Princess Janice." Without waiting for a reply, he walked away and headed back to his table.

When he got back, Teela was all smiles as he sat down. Thankfully, she hadn't noticed him speaking with Princess Janice. He knew because he was sure she would have been a little upset otherwise. He breathed deeply for a moment and tried to think about something, anything else, besides Janice's—he knew what he had to call it—"come on." He knew it had been an attempt to see how devoted he was to Teela. She had been testing the waters to see if she had any real chance to steal him away from his current girlfriend. It wasn't going to happen and he didn't want to think about it anymore.

To distance himself from it, he forced himself to think about the Sorceress' visions. He would ignore his own, because he knew he would get swept away in those thoughts and have a harder time to return to the party when he had to. But as he contemplated Morgoth and his family joked and laughed around him, his thoughts drifted to the Sorceress' earlier visions from several days ago, which proved to be just as distracting as he thought his vision would be. He didn't know exactly what the Sorceress' earlier visions had consisted of. She had refused to tell him any specifics, but he did remember the Sorceress stating that before he and Teela had become involved that his future had been full of happiness…that he was the King of Eternia and that he hadn't been married to Teela. When the future had become invisible to the Sorceress, he had made the comment that their relationship must have changed a big event in the future and at the time, he had no idea what that big event could be…but now, he knew.

If Teela and he hadn't admitted their feelings for one another, tonight would have been the beginning of his courtship with Princess Janice. He looked across the room at her as he realized she would have been his future wife if Teela and he hadn't put themselves on a different path. For some reason, he didn't have any doubt in his mind that his thoughts were true. He didn't know how to feel about his epiphany. He also felt extremely guilty for even realizing it or even thinking about it in the first place, but he couldn't help it.

He brought his hands to his face and rubbed it wearily.

"Are you okay?" he heard Teela whisper in his ear.

He looked at her, smiled softly, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," he answered. He then leaned in closer and whispered, "I love you and I want you to know I'm so glad that we changed the future so we could be together."

She looked at him oddly for a moment. He knew she was questioning why he was picking that moment to tell her that, but he couldn't explain now, nor did he know if he should. They had so many other things to discuss concerning their future, and sharing this would only serve the purpose of bringing out the green-eyed monster in Teela. He knew that would happen regardless of the fact that there was now nothing to be jealous of. Taking another deep breath, he realized this realization was definitely one he'd keep to himself. It would cause a lot of unnecessary trouble otherwise.

He slipped his hand under the table and placed his hand on Teela's left leg just above her knee. When she flashed him a warning, he grinned mischievously. He hadn't even been thinking about playing with her in such a manner…but now he was.

=)=)=)

King Randor rose from his seat and used his fork to tap against his wine glass for a couple of seconds. Everyone stopped speaking and moving and turned their attention to the King of Eternia. He looked around the room to presumably make sure he had everyone's attention. Then, he raised his glass and said, "I would like to propose a toast to my son and his...consort."

Adam raised his eyebrow at his father's word choice. The truth was he hadn't known what to call Teela himself after they had started courting either: "girlfriend" didn't seem to be intimate enough, but he had resigned himself begrudgingly to use it; "lover" implied things that just weren't true in their case yet; "significant other" also didn't seem intimate enough; "friend" surely didn't cut it; and "consort" usually referred to a king's wife, but it could mean a "companion" as well. He supposed it was the best word choice, though. At least it implied the level of intimacy he felt towards Teela. He smiled at her as he noticed the intense blush she had on her face. It was obvious she had noticed the king's choice of words, too.

"I have watched my son over the years and have always hoped he would find someone to love as much as I love Marlena. I watched him carefully avoid courtship throughout his teenage years and even avoid talking about it…"

Adam cringed and closed his eyes as he snapped softly, "Father!"

The king laughed and commented, "And, now, he's getting on to me for embarrassing him. No, the truth is that I know Adam wasn't avoiding courtship—he was waiting for the right woman." He turned to look at his captain. "That woman is you, Teela, and when I look at Adam when you're together, I see the same happiness I feel when I'm with his mother. I'm so happy that you two have found one another and I wish you all the happiness in the world. I can't wait to make the engagement speech already."

Adam looked down and shook his head as most of the room laughed loudly. He wasn't really embarrassed—mainly, he was shocked. It seemed like the entire world felt as he felt. It seemed like everyone knew how…perfect they were for one another and that there was no point in denying what the future held for them. Courtship was just a formality that needed to be endured. Marriage was inevitable and the entire planet knew it, just as he did. Or at least that's how it seemed, especially with his father and mother.

When the attendees began to clap, King Randor held up his glass even higher and said, "To Prince Adam and Lady Teela!"

The crowd repeated the phrase and everyone took a sip of their wine. Adam smiled at Teela as she smiled back and he inched his chair closer to her. Almost absentmindedly, he placed his hand back on her leg and gave it a comforting squeeze through her dress. When she gasped, he became more aware of his actions and grinned widely.

"Thank you, Father," Adam said as his father sat back down at the table. At that same moment, Adam rubbed his hand up and down her leg above her knee and then drag his nails lightly across the same area. He felt Teela squirm, but she tried her best to hide it. He glanced over at her and noticed the stern look she was trying to flash his way, but it failed miserably under the unmistakable lust she was feeling.

He looked back at everyone at the table to see if they noticed what they were doing. Once he assured himself that everyone was blissfully ignorant, he chose a new path for his hand. He raked his hand over the inside of her thigh and then squeezed her flesh there a couple times. Then, he noticed Teela inch her chair ever so closer to him so that he had better reach. He grinned at her actions. He had a sneaking suspicion of what she wanted and while the thought tempted him, he knew there was more fun to be had later if he waited.

Bringing his hand up as high as he dared, he rubbed and squeezed her inner leg but didn't go any farther than that despite Teela's soft groans of protest every so often. By the time the ball was over and the guests were leaving, Adam had himself at such a fevered point that he didn't know how he would hide his state or get back to his bedchambers.

He could tell Teela knew of his dilemma and she laughed at him teasingly. She was in the same state, but she could hide the fact a lot easier than he could. She reached her hand out to him, and he took it trustingly and allowed her to pull him to his feet. Forcing Adam to stand behind her, she used herself as a human shield as they made their way across the room. They stopped only once to wish their parents a good night, but then they hurriedly went into the hall and walked as quickly as they could back to the Royal Wing of the palace.

Once they got within several feet of their bedchambers, he couldn't stand it anymore. He turned to her abruptly, forced her against the wall, and kissed her deeply while he rubbed himself lightly against her. As Adam robbed Teela of all of her breath, she lifted her head back so he could move his lips to her neck. When he did, she gasped, "Adam, your bedroom before our parents come."

Despite the fact that he was almost to the point of no control, he heard her words and complied with her wishes. He pulled her down the hall and opened his door. As soon as she stepped inside, he followed her and locked the door behind him. Before she could even cross the room, he was behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close. "Ancients, I should have known better than to try to torture you. I only managed to torment myself," he mumbled into the side of her neck.

She leaned her head back and raised her arm to hold the nape of his neck and keep his head where it was. Adam took that opportunity to lick and kiss her neck as he ran his hands up and down her sides before exploring her stomach. Gasping a little at the sensations he was able to produce in her, she whispered, "Oh, you managed to do more than torment yourself. You did the same to me."

She turned around in his arms finally and continued, "I want to spend the night again."

"Whatever my lady wishes," he whispered and she immediately reached her hand to the back of her dress and unzipped it. Like the last time she had unzipped her dress in front of him, she allowed it to fall to the floor and once again, she was in nothing but her underwear and bra. This time, though, instead of them being lavender, they were blue and black to match her dress.

He closed his eyes for a moment and moaned at how the dark colors made her soft creamy skin stand out in an almost luminous glow. He wanted her desperately. "Teela, I want you," he whispered.

She moaned at his words and walked back into his arms. "And, I want you," she whispered.

He was so tempted to make love to her right then. He knew she would let him, but he didn't want to do anything that might mess up their future. He already had enough to worry about without possibly adding to it. Teela had legitimate fears earlier as to why they shouldn't make love and he couldn't ignore that just because they were now in a near-carnal frenzy. So, instead of removing her underwear and making deep and passionate love to her, he slipped his hand between them and placed it on the one place where he knew she had wanted it all night.

"A-Adam!" she gasped in a high-pitched voice as she rocked against his hand. He almost lost himself then and there but managed to control himself and continue to watch her as he moved his hand in various speeds to see her reaction. Eventually, though, Teela had enough of his teasing, forced his hand away from her, and managed to strip him down to his underwear. She left that article of clothing on him and wasted no time in lying down on the bed and pulling him to her. He was glad he hadn't been wearing his normal attire, because now they didn't have his tights between them. In these pair of underwear, his legs were now bare to hers and they could feel each other in yet another new way tonight.

"Adam," she begged.

He knew what she wanted: he wanted the same desperately, so he carefully placed himself over her and used his bottom portion of his body to rub against her slowly. It obviously wasn't enough for Teela, because her next movements surprised him. She moaned loudly and wrapped her legs around his waist as he hovered above her. She brought his body down on hers completely and wiggled herself around until she got him just where she wanted him. Then, they resumed their earlier actions but at a slightly faster speed.

Teela closed her eyes and wrapped a hand around Adam's neck as he began to moan right along with her. "Teela," he whispered a short time later, "I love you."

A whimper escaped her throat and she cried out a little louder than he did as her back arched off of the bed, "I love you, too!"

=)=)=)

Sometime later, Adam still laid on top of Teela, because she had refused to remove her legs from his waist. Currently, she was weaving her fingers through his hair and they both seemed to be fighting off sleep.

He didn't know what was running through her mind, but he could almost feel the worry there as she held on to him tightly. It was like she didn't want to let go…ever. "You know I love you, right?" he asked softly.

He felt her head nod beside his.

"Then, why do I feel like you're worried about losing me?" he questioned.

He heard her sigh and she whispered, "Because I am."

He lifted his head to look at her and she slipped her legs from his waist. He stayed where he was. He wouldn't move for the world after what she had just said. "Why?" he asked.

She shrugged slightly and answered, "Because I know something is bothering you, something that you didn't want to share before the ball. You didn't want to ruin our night which means it is bad enough that you thought it would."

She had always been able to read his emotions like a book. He smiled despite the sigh that escaped him. "Not all of it is bad," he admitted. "There are just some things that I need to correct as He-Man to make the future…better."

She slipped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down to her once more. As he lay there, she replied, "I know we're both tired now, so it's not the appropriate time to talk, but…we will get that opportunity tomorrow, right? Perhaps during our first outing? It's a time we're supposed to get to know one another better, but I'm not too sure how honest we can be with each other with a chaperone present."

He worked his arms around her waist and held her tightly as he rolled over onto his back. He brought her with him so she could rest on top of him. He kissed the crown of her head and whispered, "The carriage is large and quite long. We won't be right behind the chaperone, so yes, if we whisper, we'll be able to discuss things. We'll just have to choose our times wisely when we're actually in the city. We don't want to talk when the citizens are too close."

Feeling the need to brighten her thoughts of the event, he tightened his hold on her and exclaimed, "I'm looking forward to our first outing! I honestly can't wait!"

She finally lifted her head and he watched as her sad expression morphed into one of relief and then happiness. He knew she was dreading the entire thing because she was expecting to be told bad news during it. Even though he did have some bad news to share, he didn't want her to dread their first "date." He decided at that moment that he would tell her before their carriage ride to get that out of the way. They could then use the outing to make themselves feel better about everything. He still hadn't decided just how much he should tell her about the Sorceress' visions and especially his, but the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to tell her about A.J. At the very least, he wanted to mention that they had a family together. That would certainly calm any anxieties she might have about anyone trying to stop their courtship and eventual marriage. He knew she feared that, especially after she had heard his father's discussion with King Moraius.

He smiled happily as Teela rested her head on his chest again and mumbled tiredly, "Then, I can't wait either. I can't wait to simply be with you and talk. Do you think tomorrow will be a good day?"

He knew she was fishing for some information, trying to see if he actually had bad news to share and he was simply trying to play it off for tonight. He chuckled at her—sometimes she was so predictable. He loved her so much. He held her tightly again and answered, "Tomorrow is going to be a wonderful day. I don't have a doubt in my mind."


	26. Chapter 26

Teela's Visitor Chapter 26

As much as he dreamed about this, reality exceeded expectations. He lay in bed on his side and he could do nothing but stare at the sight before him. Teela was in his bed again. Her hair was down and hanging loose about her neck, and even though it was probably crude to say it, that hair style always turned him on. It was probably because he so rarely had the opportunity to see it like that. So, now all he could do was soak it in for as long as he could.

She was also in one of his t-shirts again. After they had talked a little the night before and he had calmed her anxiety, they had cleaned themselves up and put on their sleeping attire…separately. He didn't think they could handle going into the bathroom together completely naked and jumping into the shower or his tub. The temptation might have proven to be too much, so they had taken turns.

That lure may have been great, but he wasn't sure if this had an even greater pull on him. It almost seemed that way. He was getting a preview of the future in real life—it wasn't in his mind this time. He could imagine that when they were husband and wife, they would have plenty of moments just like this. He could imagine always waking up in the morning, staring at Teela beside him, and thanking the Ancients for allowing it to be possible.

His mind drifted to Janice—she was the other road he could have taken. She was a nice enough girl. She had grown a lot since he had last seen her. She was a very beautiful young woman now, and he wouldn't lie to himself. _IF _he knew Teela didn't love him and there was absolutely no chance of them being together, he wouldn't have minded pursuing a relationship there. He had no doubt in his mind that's what happened to give the Sorceress the future she had seen initially. He had believed Teela was out of reach. He had believed that on the very day he had gone into her room to make sure she was okay after missing that battle at Castle Grayskull. He was so thankful he had lost his mind for a split second and told Teela exactly what he was thinking at that moment. If he hadn't, things would be a lot different right now.

He smiled at Teela and his expression widened when she suddenly opened her eyes. She immediately smiled back at him and stretched a little. "Hmm, hey you," she mumbled as turned onto her side to face him.

"Hey," he greeted her back softly.

"How long have you been watching me?"

He wouldn't lie. "To tell the truth, I don't really know. It could be minutes or hours. I didn't really keep track of time."

The look in her eyes told him she was pleased with his answer. Her eyes brightened significantly and her smile deepened and even showed a little teeth. She reached her hand out and grabbed his. She simply held it and intertwined their fingers.

"I like this," she whispered.

He nodded at her. "I do, too. I know I keep saying this, but I can't believe all of this is actually happening."

"I feel the same way," she agreed as she wiggled herself a little closer to him. "If I could spend every night in here, I would, but I know we better not press our luck. It's surprising no one has caught us yet."

He shrugged and said, "Well, for all we know, our parents might already know you're in here." He couldn't help but laugh at her horrified expression. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open a little. "Ah, come on, Teela. They already think we're having sex. They know you have to be with me at some point for us to being doing that."

She blushed scarlet. "I hope they don't. That's…just too embarrassing."

He rolled onto his back and asked, "Would you rather me set the record straight? I can tell everyone who will listen that we're not making love. I don't want you to worry about your reputation at all, Teela. I would protect yours more fervently than I would my own."

She didn't reply right away and since he wasn't looking at her, he was surprised when she suddenly slid over him and placed a leg on each side of his hips. She leaned down on him but stayed just enough apart so they could still look at each other without any problems. "Adam, I'm not worried about that. We have been very discreet and I know our parents would also protect our doings. I didn't say that because I'm concerned. I'm legitimately embarrassed thinking about my father knowing what we do." She paused for a moment and then added softly, "And, as for you setting the record straight, I'm afraid you can't."

He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"You can't, because we do make love." She leaned down and pressed her lips against his lightly. "What we did last night and all of these other times…Adam, I feel as though we're making love. We're sharing ourselves, and the emotions are just as they would be if there was actual…penetration." She blushed at the last word.

He couldn't help the tears that rushed to his eyes. He didn't want to seem overly sentimental, but at times like this, he couldn't help it. Teela often told him she loved him since all of this had begun, but this was the first time she had spoken _about_ their relationship…and what she said was beautiful. At least to him, it was.

"I feel the same way," he admitted after he pulled himself together. He then reached up and wrapped his arms around her. She laid down on his chest completely and they simply held each other for a while. Eventually, though, Adam realized he would have to interrupt the peacefulness they had seemingly found to talk to about the visions he had seen. He knew he couldn't put it off for much longer. He wanted to get this over with and out in the open before their first royal outing.

=)=)=)

Rubbing a hand up and down her back comfortingly, Adam tried to think of a good way to begin this conversation. Should he start with the good news or the bad news? What should he share and what shouldn't he share? There were endless possibilities of what he could say. He supposed he could contact the Sorceress for advice, but truthfully, this was their relationship and he wanted to handle it between them and no one else. He wasn't sure if that was selfish, but that's the way he felt.

He took a deep breath and just when he was about to open his mouth to say he knew not what, she interjected, "Stop fretting and just say it, Adam! You'll feel better and then we'll carry the load together." She lifted her head off his chest and looked into his eyes. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: you're not going to handle these things alone ever again! I mean that!"

He grinned and hugged her tightly. "I love you!" he exclaimed with a laugh. He was amazed at how well she knew him. She hadn't even been looking at him and yet she knew something was troubling him. And, she knew just what to say to make him feel a lot better about things.

She grinned, as well, and replied, "I love you, too. Now, tell me what's going on."

He started to sit up, so she brought her legs back from around him and sat beside him, facing him. He stared into her eyes for a second before he began speaking. "I know we haven't really had a formal discussion about it, but I'm sure you've figured out through discussions in your presence that He-Man and I have developed a new…ability. I can read people's minds. Well, I'm not sure, but I think because of that it has branched over into some other mental areas. I don't know. In any case, when I went to Castle Grayskull yesterday, I saw a vision that the Sorceress had…and then I saw one of my own that she didn't." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. "I won't lie. There were some bad things in them, but there were some good, as well."

They stared at each other for a while before she finally spoke again. "Tell me the bad news first."

He sighed. The moment had arrived, and he decided to do what she said: just tell her. "In the Sorceress' vision, I watched her die. You and I were there, but we couldn't stop it. It looked like she died protecting us."

Teela gasped. "What? Who kills her? Skeletor?"

He shook his head. "No, it's a wizard by the name of Morgoth. It's a long story, but let's just say the Sorceress has had a run-in with him before when she first became the Sorceress of Grayskull and since then with me. He's very powerful."

She frowned and then stated firmly, "Well, we'll stop him. We have to!"

He nodded. "Those are my thoughts exactly."

They both quieted down again and eventually Teela asked, "What's the bad news in your vision?"

He looked down and said, "Well, in order to understand the bad news, you have to know the good news first."

She stared at him and didn't utter a word. He knew she was waiting for him to tell her. "In the future, you and I will be married and we're going to have a family together."

Her reaction was everything that Adam could have wanted. She smiled brightly and immediately kissed him deeply. She ran her hands through his hair and pressed her body closely against his. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. When they finally pulled apart, he moved his hand to her cheek and whispered, "The bad news is that because the Sorceress of Grayskull died at the hands of Morgoth…you had to take over, just like you did that time when the Sorceress was missing. I'm king in the vision, and I have no doubt that your future self didn't want our children to be raised in Castle Grayskull with all the dangers there, so…we're not together. We live apart and we miss you."

Tears filled both their eyes. She shook her head and said, "I won't leave you. That vision is wrong! I make the decision right now to stay with you and our children!"

He shook his head. "Teela, you say that now, but what if you have no choice? What if you're the only person who is able to take over at that time? The castle can't be without a guardian. Skeletor or some other villain could learn its secrets and take over all of Eternia if that happened. I know you, Teela. You would put the greater good of Eternia first." She frowned at him and he said hurriedly, "You would have to, Teela! It would be the right thing to do. After all, staying with us wouldn't do any good if we're all enslaved or killed by whoever takes over."

As tears slipped down her cheeks, she slipped her arms around him again. He held her tightly as he rocked her back and forth. "We just have to make sure I'm not put in that situation. We'll have to protect the Sorceress. We have to stop this Morgoth."

He nodded. "We will, and we do have an advantage. We know what's coming and we can take steps to stop it. I don't know how yet, but the Sorceress and I will figure it out somehow…"

She pulled back and nodded confidently. "I have no doubt that you're right. After all, when has He-Man ever let me down?"

He grinned as he wiped his face. "He'll try his best to make sure he never does, I promise you that."

They kissed each other one more time softly before deciding to get ready for the day.

=)=)=)

_I know, another short chapter, but I've actually had a really hectic and stressful day at work (and no, not because of the kids really, haha). Anyway, I wanted to write and post something to get my spirits up. But hey, despite its brevity, I think it leads nicely into their first outing in Eternos amongst the people, LOL. Hopefully, you'll forgive me. ;)_


	27. Chapter 27

Teela's Visitor Chapter 27

Adam stood in front of his mirror and stared at his reflection. He laughed at himself a little with self-ridicule. He had never considered himself a vain person. The truth was when he had been younger he had never really given much thought to his wardrobe and appearance. He used to wear a simple white tunic which hung loosely about his frame and a pair of khaki trousers with brown boots. It had been simple regardless of how expensive the materials were. Even if his tastes had been common back then, the seamstresses and his parents had made sure he still looked like the Prince of Eternia.

Of course, when he became He-Man all of that changed. He had realized at the time that he needed to differentiate himself from He-Man as much as possible. He-Man was supposed to be a barbarian, a man's man, so to speak. So, he decided he would be the complete opposite. He decided to be like some of his cousins and other members of the nobility and aristocracy: he decided to be a fop, or at least dress like one. He wore flamboyant colors that were atypical of any common man. Of course, it was acceptable for him since he was the prince and as such, he was supposed to be refined and cultured. People took it as a show of class and confidence, ironically. He was never ridiculed for his choice in clothes, at least to his face, but he knew it also painted him as a guy who was more of a lover than a fighter, at best. If taken to a negative connotation, he knew it made him look weak, like a typical randy courtier, even though the people knew he didn't dally.

Now that he was courting Teela, he found himself caring a little more. He didn't want to embarrass her in any way. Of course, now that she knew he was He-Man, she understood his decisions when it came to his clothes and his behavior. They hadn't sat down and talked about that aspect of things, either, but he was sure she had figured it out.

He stared at his outfit and nodded approvingly. He wore a white undershirt, as usual, except this one was sleeveless. Over it, he wore his typical tunic, except it wasn't pink. No, it was more of a dark maroon that was probably close to the color of He-Man's fur-pants and boots. He paused as he wondered if it would be a risk to wear this color since his alter ego did but quickly dismissed the thought. If he had been shirtless and his pants had been that color perhaps it would be taking a risk, but this was nothing like He-Man's attire. As for his pants, he had gone back to wearing a pair of dark khaki trousers. He thought he had dressed himself pretty well for the occasion.

He took a deep breath and stared at his hair. It looked like it always did, but that was okay because he couldn't do much else with it at its length besides split it to the side or even push his bangs over. He decided to leave it as is. He had been wearing that particular haircut his entire life. After all it was a tradition in his family and he had a feeling if he did something else with it that would end up being the topic of the day instead of him and Teela…

Or maybe that would be a good thing?

He laughed at himself again. This time it was a nervous chuckle at his insecurity. He knew Teela could handle the scrutiny that they would be subjecting themselves to today. She might not like it, but she knew what was coming and she had accepted it when she had decided that she wanted to be with him. There was nothing to be nervous about.

Well, aside from the fact that he wanted things to be perfect for her. They already had a strike against them since the issue with Morgoth had come to light. He didn't know how that was going to affect their outing, but he just had to tell her earlier. He felt like it hadn't been an option. Teela was his partner now, more so than Cringer, even though he would never tell his feline companion that. He was sure Cringer knew, though—he was an animal after all. His friend probably understood the concept of mates at a more primal level than any human did. He smiled as he remembered A.J. playing with a green and yellow tiger. Was it possible Cringer would find a mate, too?

He found himself grinning at the possibility. He remembered when he had found Cringer when he was just a kitten. Of course, Cringer hadn't been a newborn at the time. Regardless, he had been downright cute now that he looked back and thought about the cub. Cringe had been a great friend; he still was…

Even if no one believed it, growing up as a prince had been tough. There had been times when he was younger that he thought he hadn't had a friend in the world besides Cringer. Even Teela had made fun of him from time to time when she had been with children, whose parents were members of the Guard. Of course, it had always been done in jest. She, at least, never meant it to turn into ridicule. In any case, he had been extremely grateful for Cringer's presence once he had gained him as a pet, and he was absolutely thrilled that A.J. would have a similar companion and at an even earlier age.

He actually hoped the kitten was one of Cringer's offspring. He would love to see what Cringer would have looked like at a younger age. Of course, he did question how it would all work out. Would the mother talk, too? Would she be tamed or wild? Would she live in the palace with them? And, what about the kitten? In the vision, it hadn't spoken a syllable, but then again, Cringer had rarely spoken when he had first found him. He honestly didn't know if Cringer would have ever spoken if it wasn't for him. Even on Eternia, tigers didn't normally speak. Now that Adam was older, he wondered if Castle Grayskull had something to do with Cringer's ability to speak since the Sorceress knew the tiger would be his companion and that he would turn into Battlecat.

And, that thought made him think about even more possibilities. Would A.J. and this kitten have a similar fate as him and Cringer? His son's nickname was A.J. Now, there were several reasons why he could have this nickname. It was one of two very likely scenarios. The Sorceress had said the queen had nicknamed him. Well, it was either that his mother had seen the child and thought he looked just like her son, so she decided to call him A.J. for "Adam Junior" or the child might very well be "Adam Junior" and A.J. would be less confusing than having both father and son respond to someone calling out "Adam." Or maybe it was both.

Anyway, he wondered if there would be another Prince Adam, his son, running around with the Sword of Power as He-Man when he became too old or perhaps too overwhelmed with having to run the kingdom and the planet. He didn't know how to feel about the possibility. Of course, he knew there would be some differences from his situation to his son's if that was to be the future. After all, he would know A.J.'s secret. His son wouldn't have to hide it from him, like he did with King Randor. As a matter of fact, he would be A.J.'s mentor and he could do it in a way that Man-at-Arms and the Sorceress had never been able to. He would be able to teach A.J. everything that there was to know about being He-Man. A.J. wouldn't have to stumble throughout time learning about his powers like he was doing now.

Of course, he still didn't know if he liked the possibility. He hoped that he would be able to stop Skeletor, Morgoth, and any other threats to Eternia, so that his son could live a happy and burden-free life. But if that were the case, then Teela wouldn't have had to be the Sorceress of Grayskull in his vision. Part of him wished A.J. wouldn't be destined to carry the Sword of Power, but then when he thought about it going to someone else, it made his heart clinch uncontrollably. He was sure it would be like someone else other than his son being the future King of Eternia. It was unfathomable. The Sword of Power was a part of him and he couldn't imagine giving that piece of himself to anyone but a son. And, he was sure his father felt the same way about the throne and him…

Adam laughed at himself again as he realized he was getting way too far ahead of himself. A.J. was still only a speck in the horizon. Teela and he were about to have their first date. They weren't married, and they certainly hadn't had intercourse to even make A.J. a possibility yet. So, as Teela had said one time earlier when he had been talking about marriage, he really was putting "the cart before the horse."

He looked into the mirror one more time and stared into his own eyes. "Well, Adam, ol' boy, it's time to put the horse in front of the cart." With a smile, he left his chambers to go to Teela's.

=)=)=)

They hadn't eaten that morning. Adam had told Teela before she left the room that he was pretty sure his father would provide them with some kind of brunch or lunch as they toured the city. He didn't know exactly what it would be, but how could they have a "date" without some kind of meal? He hoped his father and he thought along the same lines. He had half the mind to go question him before he knocked on the door to get Teela, but that wouldn't be following tradition. The king was supposed to handle the first outings regardless of whether it was for a prince or a princess. It was his right to make sure the courtship followed the guidelines dictated for royalty, and of course, it made a statement to the people that the king approved of the courtship since he had set up every aspect of their day. That was the most important thing about it all. The people had to accept Teela and with King Randor's blessings, as well as his own, they were bound to love her. Thankfully, they already did because they knew her as the Captain of the Royal Guard.

Rapping his knuckles on Teela's bedchamber door, he stood outside and waited. He noticed down that hall that several guardsmen and maids were watching him. He closed his eyes temporarily and stopped himself from turning towards them. He knew that's what all of these traditions were for: so the people of Eternia could watch their prince court a young woman. Those people included the guards and the maids. That's why the traditions started the minute he stepped out of his bedroom.

Finally, Teela opened the door and like he had grown accustomed to doing recently, he breathed in sharply as he got a good look at her. She looked beautiful. She was in a dress that was similar to his mother's in color and style, except instead of a golden belt around her hips, it was placed at her waist. Also, the collar of her dress didn't go up her neck. Instead she had sleeveless straps that held the dress up, so the neck and backlines of the dress plunged deeply on both sides. He tried to stop his body from having a response. He let the air that he had been holding out and took note of her hair. This time it was up, but it wasn't in her usual style. It was in a mere ponytail and her long hair still fell down her neck. He smiled and said his earlier thought, "Beautiful."

She grinned. "And, you don't look so bad, yourself."

He looked down at himself for a moment and then winked at her. He extended his arm to her and asked with a slight bow, "Shall we?"

"Of course," she said with a slight curtsey. Adam could tell she had done so, because she had also realized they had a small audience. She slipped her arm around his and he slowly walked with her down the hall.

"Are you nervous?" he asked as he ignored everyone turning their heads to look at them as they walked by.

Teela grinned at him and answered, "Maybe a little, but it doesn't have anything to do with you. I'm nervous about what might happen in the city. We have to remember Skeletor might show up at any time to spoil our fun. Also, as you've pointed out before, some overzealous citizens might feel the desire to get closer than they should. I don't know…but overall, I'm excited and happy that this is finally happening."

He nodded with a slight frown. The truth was he had been thinking about the future and Morgoth so much that he had temporarily forgotten about Skeletor. He knew Teela's fears about him and even the citizens were very possible. He wondered what kind of security his father had set up. He was sure the king would have the guard nearby at all times, just in case. Deciding to not dwell on it, he replied, "I feel the same way." He led her around the corner which took them to the corridor that led out into the courtyard. Once they arrived outside, Adam was surprised to see their parents waiting for them beside the carriage.

They walked over to them and King Randor smiled at them warmly. "There you are!" he exclaimed happily. "I was about to start wondering if I would have to go in there to get you."

Both Teela and Adam chuckled a little.

The king patted his son on the back and whispered, "I'd like a word."

Adam noticed Man-at-Arms had done the same to Teela, so they reluctantly parted to hear whatever their parents had to say. Marlena and Randor continued to smile at him, and eventually, the king said, "So, this is it."

Adam nodded. "Yep, it is."

"You know, Adam, I expect you to be a gentleman at all times."

He widened his eyes and gasped, "Of course I will be!"

Randor laughed and said, "I knew you would be, but just let me go through the typical spill that a father is supposed to give his son, okay?"

Adam then grinned and nodded.

"The carriage is going to take you throughout Eternos to different hotspots. I have arranged for the carriage to also take you to the Evergreen Forest for a private picnic. I thought you and Teela would prefer that instead of eating in public. The Ancients know Marlena and I wanted to get out of the public eye as soon as we could."

He nodded and replied, "Thank you, Father."

The king gave him a brief nod. "Also, members of the Guard are spread out across the city to make sure things remain safe for you and Teela. You will even have several following you from a distance when you go to the Evergreen Forest. Some are already there scouting the area to make sure no threats are present." He then grabbed his son's shoulder and squeezed it tightly for a moment. "I want you to have fun today, Adam, but I also don't want you to forget that you and Teela are being watched constantly. Don't have too much fun."

"I won't, Father. I promise."

The king nodded and then the queen stepped forward to slip her arms around her son. "My baby is growing up," she mumbled.

Adam couldn't help it. He laughed loudly, and he noticed several guards, courtiers, and even Teela and Man-at-Arms had turned to look at him. He embraced his mother for a brief moment and then looked into her eyes with amusement. "I think I've been grown for a couple of years now."

She waved her hand dismissively and countered, "Nonsense, you'll always be my child. I suppose I'm a little sentimental, though, because you're finally starting a new chapter in your life."

The prince's grin widened and he said teasingly, "Don't worry, Mom. You're still my favorite girl."

Queen Marlena laughed a little. "Now, don't lie, Adam. It's unbecoming of a prince. We all know Teela has been your favorite for years, as it should be."

He couldn't argue with his mother, because they all knew her words were true. He hugged her tightly one more time. When he let go, he looked at them both and said, "Thank you so much for today…and for accepting Teela."

The king and queen smiled and Marlena replied, "We didn't even have to think about it, Adam. We know how happy she makes you and that's all we've ever wanted for you."

He grinned widely and looked over at Teela. She was heading his way again with a huge smile covering her face. Her discussion with Duncan must have been equally pleasing.

When she reached him, she slipped her arm around his waist as he slipped his around her shoulders. "Well, I guess this is it!" she exclaimed happily.

The king nodded and said, "Well, let's get started then. First, I want to introduce you to your chaperone." They walked to the front of the carriage. The man behind the horses jumped down to the ground and extended his hand to Adam.

"Daniel, this is Prince Adam. Adam, this is Daniel. He is a minister at the nearby Worship Center of the Ancients. We thought he would be a perfect chaperone since we wanted to maintain the appearance of virtuosity and compliancy to our traditions."

The two men shook hands and Adam greeted, "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," stated Daniel. Then, Daniel and Teela greeted each other.

The king caught the couple's attention again when the minister climbed back onto the carriage. "Daniel has already been informed on where to go and what to do. And, yes, he will be watching you to make sure no…" He paused to look at his wife. "What did you call it dear? No 'hanky panky' will be going on?"

Marlena laughed loudly, as did Adam. They always got amused when the king tried to use Earth terminology. It always sounded quite natural coming from the queen. It even sounded normal coming from Adam since he had been brought up with his mother's odd phrases. The same could not be said for the King of Eternia, however. It always sounded odd. Oh, he made sure to get whatever term or phrase he was saying exactly right, but his voice always took on a tone of uncertainty. The results were always comical. This time the topic _and_ the way he said it was amusing, so the laughter lasted for several long seconds.

Teela raised an eyebrow at Adam when he finally pulled himself together. "Sorry," he mumbled.

She shrugged with a grin of her own. "No problem here," she whispered back.

Adam looked to his father and stated, "There will be no 'hanky panky' going on today, I promise. Teela and I will be on our best behavior."

He nodded and replied, "Well, good. Now, you two know the drill, I assume."

Adam glanced at Teela and she nodded. "I read the chapter in your book," she announced proudly. He smiled and brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.

"Then your carriage awaits, my love," he said afterward and bowed flawlessly. He then walked her to her side of the buggy, lifted her effortlessly, and put her on her seat.

Teela smirked at him after he playfully flexed a bicep at her when he had seen her widen her eyes at his actions. She then giggled and whispered, "Okay, He-Man…I never knew you were such a show-off."

He grinned with a laugh and trotted around to his side of the buggy. He jumped onto the side of it and took his seat across from Teela. Their backs were to one another, but they turned simultaneously to see how far apart they were. It was perhaps only three feet, but it already seemed like it was too much. Adam realized he couldn't wait for their picnic already. Then, he would be able to get as close to Teela as he wanted to…well, as close as he wanted to in public.

With a wink at Teela, he turned back around and then spoke to their chaperone. "Okay, we're ready," he called out.

As the buggy started moving, both Teela and Adam waved goodbye to their parents and the other observers who were in the courtyard. Each hoped the outing would be perfect…

=)=)=)

_Well, I know it been a little over a week since I updated this story. I hope it was worth the wait. =)_


End file.

He-Man, Friendship, Romance