Teela looked up from her preparations as she heard heavy footsteps approaching, but it was her father, not Adam, who appeared.

"The queen isn't feeling well, and won't be going. Adam is taking her place. Is everything else in order?" Duncan asked.

"The engines on the wind raider and the sky sled check out," she said. "We're ready to go as soon as Adam gets here." Her father caught her glancing towards the door. She seemed a bit nervous at the change in plans.

"If you don't mind me asking, how are things between you two?" he asked quietly.

Teela shrugged lightly. "We're just going to take it slow," she answered. She hesitated, then admitted, "I just don't trust him anymore, Father."

Duncan's head reared back in surprise. "You don't trust Adam?" he repeated in disbelief.

Teela ducked her head, avoiding her father's eyes. "How can I?" she whispered. "I want to, but I don't know how. How do I trust someone who hid so much of himself from me for so long, who is still keeping a secret from me, someone who used his position to push me away last week?

"Humph, I see your point," Duncan conceded reluctantly. "But Teela, you must know he was trying to protect you because he loves you."

Teela's head snapped up. "He's never told me that."

"Then maybe you should start listening with your heart instead of your ears," Duncan suggested, his eyes wise.

Teela pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Even if it's true, I still need time. With Adam, I always knew the kingdom would come first; it's his duty. But to have the whole mess of Grayskull thrown in…. I think I'm just starting to understand what that means."

Duncan nodded. "That's an unusually wise choice for someone who usually rushes into things," he teased gently.

Adam walked in just then, Cringer alongside him. "Good morning, Duncan, Teela." His voice held its usually friendly, upbeat tone, though his gaze lingered on Teela. She felt a momentary panic that he might have overheard them, but his face showed nothing. She let out a soft breath of relief.

"Good morning, lad," Duncan replied. He caught Adam in mid-yawn. "Didn't you sleep well?"

"I didn't sleep much," Adam admitted, suddenly avoiding Teela's gaze. They had danced and talked until after midnight, but that hadn't been the problem. Her words had played over and over in his head. When he had finally fallen asleep just before dawn, it had been a restless sleep.

"Well, we'd better get on our way if we want to make it to Avion in time for the dedication," Teela said briskly. "You and Father are taking the wind raider. I'm riding wing on the sky sled." Her eyes challenged him to argue.

"As you wish, Captain," Adam said with an exaggerated bow. She couldn't help but giggle, to his relief. He could give her all the time she needed, but he couldn't stand to have a falsely official front between them.

"W-What about m-me?" Cringer asked. Adam smiled.

"You're coming too, you big fur ball."

"Oh good. Stratos always has yummy food for us." The cat licked his lips as the humans gathered around him laughed.

"You've got a long way to go to earn back her trust, lad."

Adam started at his mentor's words. He met Duncan's gaze steadily before Man-at-Arms turned back to flying the wind raider.

"I know, Duncan," he said. He sighed heavily. "I never meant to hurt her."

"I know that, Adam, and I think she knows that too," Duncan offered. "But you did."

Adam said nothing in reply; he didn't know what to say, since he knew Duncan was right. When Man-at-Arms finally looked over, he saw that the prince had fallen asleep, though judging from the light frown on his face, it wasn't a pleasant rest. Teela also noticed and shook her head, a feeling of indulgent understanding overcoming her. It was a far cry, she realized, from the superior feeling of indignation she used to feel when Adam nodded off at odd times.

At the sound of shots being fired, Adam jerked awake. He twisted around; the Collector was right behind them, closing in fast. Man-at-Arms stayed his arm as he went for the sword.

"Don't be too hasty, lad," he warned. "We don't know that Skeletor has told anyone else your secret yet, and we don't know who is in the Collector. You can't do much good as He-Man anyway."

"If we're forced down, I'd rather be He-Man," Adam pointed out, but understood Duncan's logic. He watched anxiously as Teela headed straight for the Collector, firing at it. He breathed a sigh of relief as she made it safely through her first pass. He'd feel much better if he were on a sky sled himself. The wind raider didn't have the same maneuverability.

Duncan swerved around as the Collector fired at them. "You realize this means we were right," Duncan muttered. "He's after you."

"Go on, rub it in and enjoy it. It doesn't happen often," Adam joked. His smile faded. "Actually, it was supposed to be my mother making this trip. And he could just as easily be after you or Teela, or even Cringer. How far are we from Avion?"

"We should be able to see it any minute," Man-at-Arms replied. Adam glanced back again. Teela had managed to damage the Collector some; one of the weapons was smoking. The sky sled's weapons weren't really strong enough, though.

Teela zoomed around them for another pass at the Collector. As she did so, one of its shots caught her sky sled, stalling the engine. Adam's heart went into his throat as she started down.

"Duncan!"

"I'm trying!" he yelled back. But the Collector's rapid fire kept him from heading in the direction he wanted. In desperation, Adam drew his sword.

"Wait! Stratos has her!" Adam lowered his sword as his friend appeared, carrying Teela. A dozen birdmen were there as well, rapidly firing their weapons at the Collector.

"Follow me, Man-at-Arms!" Stratos flew straight towards Avion. His birdmen followed, ceasing their firing as the shield generator started back up. Adam and Duncan exchanged relieved looks. They were safe, for now.

When they landed, Adam leapt out of the Wind Raider and strode over to Teela. "Are you all right?" he demanded huskily. He barely restrained from touching her. She said she'd wanted to take it slow, and he wasn't sure how she'd react if he pulled her into his arms in front of Stratos and half of his birdmen—even though that was what he desperately wanted to do.

"I'm fine, Adam," she assured him. Their eyes met, and for a few seconds everything else around them disappeared. She read the longing in his eyes; he saw the hesitation and wariness in hers. Stratos looked from one to the other, his jaw going slack in sudden realization.

Duncan cleared his throat as he came over, bringing Teela and Adam back to reality. He hugged his daughter tightly. "That was scary. Thank you, Stratos." He shook the birdman's hand.

"Yes, Stratos, thank you," Adam echoed. He could feel Stratos' assessing gaze as they shook hands.

"I'm glad we could help. You're looking well, Adam. I would have thought you'd be on bed rest."

"Grayskull's magic healed me," Adam replied honestly.

"How did you get out?" Stratos asked curiously. "When that fortress collapsed and He-Man said you'd gotten out already, I didn't think much of it. But I never did see you."

"He-Man, Orko, and Serena helped me escape," Adam answered. Teela cast him a nervous glance, but he wasn't worried. Questions like these came up more frequently than she realized. It was when they came from the same person several times in a row he started to get worried.

"So has Skeletor targeted you now, or was today just a coincidence?" Stratos asked.

Adam sighed. "We have reason to believe he may be after me," he admitted.

"Well, you're safe here, my friend. Let's get on with the dedication. We can talk more later," Stratos added.

After the ceremony, the birdmen celebrated with a community-wide feast. In spite of the organized chaos, Stratos and Adam sat at a table slightly set off from the others. Teela and Duncan had relaxed somewhat, but were still alert to trouble. Cringer was eating as much as anyone would give him.

"You and I have been friends for a long time, Adam," Stratos said casually.

"Just about my whole life," Adam agreed. He briefly wondered where Stratos was going with the conversation, but Teela caught his eye again. He watched her as he took a drink; Stratos kept talking.

"You're falling for your bodyguard, aren't you?"

Adam choked, spitting his drink out. Stratos pounded on his back as Adam coughed.

"Sorry about the bad timing there, Adam," Stratos apologized. He paused as the prince caught his breath. "But you are, aren't you?"

"Why are you asking?" Adam hedged.

"Well, it's just that Teela and He-Man have always seemed a bit…attracted to each other, I guess. I don't want to see you and He-Man have a falling out over a woman, even if it is Teela," Stratos said hesitantly.

Adam laughed; he couldn't help it. "Stratos, He-Man has no interest in Teela beyond friendship."

"How do you know?" Stratos challenged, more out of curiosity than certainty.

"Let's just say he and I have already had this discussion," Adam said, a smile lingering on his lips.

"I'm glad to hear that," Stratos replied heartily. "Really glad."

They watched some children play nearby; a few birdmen approached Stratos with random questions. Adam enjoyed the first sense of security he'd had in more than a week, although concern for his family lingered in the back of his mind. Skeletor could still attack the palace, knowing he was gone. At least Adora was still there; she was needed back on Etheria, but she'd promised not to leave until he returned.

"Do you know what had He-Man so upset last week after we rescued you and King Randor?" Stratos asked suddenly.

Adam straightened up and looked at his friend. He didn't bother pretending to misunderstand. He-Man had promised he'd tell Stratos what was going on, but never had the chance. He had to honor that, even if it was as Adam.

"Skeletor succeeded in getting what he wanted out of me," Adam admitted.

"And what was that?" Stratos queried.

"Information about He-Man," Adam said heavily. "Things that only a few of us know. It puts people in danger, and I'm sure it was weighing heavily on his mind."

"You can't be blaming yourself for not being able to resist a compulsion spell, a truth spell, and torture," Stratos asserted. Adam eyes widened in surprise. "Palace gossip from Eternos travels fast and far, my friend."

"Then perhaps they ought to get the story right," Teela said primly from behind Adam. He started; he hadn't heard her approach. "Adam did resist it all. He only gave Skeletor what he wanted to save his father." Adam flushed slightly.

"Then you are to be commended," Stratos commented solemnly. "I have never met anyone, save He-Man, with the kind of strength to resist those things."

Adam shifted uncomfortably. That was strike two for the day—now he was concerned. Maybe he needed to get back to the clumsy, irresponsible prince act.

"Adam, we need to get going," Teela said. "There was an emergency on Etheria, and Adora had to leave. Father summoned a few escorts for the trip back, and they're almost here."

Disappointment pierced Adam as he realized he hadn't gotten to say good-by to his sister. He sighed. He really hated that they were on two different worlds. He pulled his mind back to the present and stood, Stratos following suit.

"It was good to see you again, Stratos." He clasped the birdman's hand.

"Same here Adam. Safe journey back to Eternos."

Adam frowned as he observed the guards forming up. He turned in the wind raider's seat. "Duncan, what's going on with the royal guard?"

Duncan cleared his throat uncomfortably. "You'll have to discuss that with your father, Adam. He forbade me—or Teela—to speak with you about it. He wanted to talk to you personally."

Adam's eyes narrowed as they landed. It looked an awfully lot like a battle formation, he noted. He hurried from the hangar, not seeing the worried glances exchanged by Teela and her father. He went straight to the throne room, which thankfully was pretty much empty except for his parents and a few guards.

"Leave us," Adam commanded them. Confused at receiving such a domineering order from their normally mild-mannered prince, the guards looked to Randor for guidance. The king nodded.

"Adam, I'm glad to see you home safely," Randor said cautiously, trying to gauge his son's mood.

"Father, why does the royal guard look like it's getting ready for a battle?" Adam demanded suspiciously.

"I've decided that Skeletor has caused enough destruction and pain, and it is time to go to Snake Mountain and capture him," Randor said calmly.

"With the royal guard?" Adam's asked incredulously.

"I was hoping He-Man would lead them," his father replied, his voice still smooth, though inside he was becoming anxious. He hadn't expected Adam to be upset about this.

"Absolutely not," Adam stated, his voice firm.

"What?" Randor was sure he had heard wrong.

"You're not doing this to bring Skeletor to justice, Father," Adam accused. "This is an act of vengeance. I will not lead innocent men into the dangers of Snake Mountain, where they could be hurt or killed, for that reason."

"You can't deny that Skeletor has committed heinous crimes!" Randor exclaimed.

"You're right, he has," Adam confirmed. "But He-Man's power is for fighting evil, not revenge. Tell me revenge isn't the motive here, Father. Tell me your anger hasn't been burning in you for the last week, like it has me."

Randor stared at Adam, speechless. He couldn't answer for a moment. Marlena's lips parted in surprise. The subject had come up between her and Randor time and time again over the last week—if Adam was so worried about what Skeletor would do, why wasn't he going after him? Now Marlena understood. Adam had wanted to go in with a clear head. Going in for revenge, she realized, he might have done something he would regret later. Her respect for her son grew again.

"Skeletor must be stopped, regardless of the cost," Randor finally said, his voice hard. He had reached the same conclusion as Marlena, but thought enough time had passed. It was time to end Skeletor's reign of terror.

"This isn't what you stand for. You're a man of peace, Father. If you want Skeletor captured, then let He-Man take a group of the masters to do it," Adam argued. "Don't put the royal guard at risk. They're no match for Skeletor's minions."

Randor shook his head, reluctant to change his mind. "They are the finest soldiers on Eternia. They can handle Skeletor and his goons."

"No they can't, and you know it," Adam snapped.

Randor's patience was running thin. "Your lack of respect is starting to show, Adam," he warned.

So is yours, Adam thought, but managed not to say it. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "If He-Man had given you this advice two weeks ago, Father, you would have listened to him." He took another breath to calm himself down, while Randor's face grew red from anger and embarrassment. "If you choose to do this, I can't stop you. I won't lead them, but I will be nearby if they need me." He turned on his heel and strode out of the room.

Marlena placed a gentle hand on her husband's arm. "Listen to him, Randor. For two reasons. He is right to question our motives. And he has fought Skeletor for almost seven years. He knows what he is talking about."

Randor's jaw clenched. He wasn't in the mood to listen.

At Marlena's urging, Randor finally decided to delay the attack for another day so he could consider his son's words. That hesitation took the decision out of his hands as Skeletor sent his warriors to attack the palace, Grayskull, and Eternia in general, one attack rapidly following another. The next few weeks proved to be grueling for everyone as the masters and the royal guard found themselves reacting to incidents, rather than going on the offensive as the king had intended.

Monsters attacked villages, floods and avalanches buried homes, shadow beasts raided towns. The Widgets were attacked on a regular basis. Skeletor's minions made multiple attempts to get into Grayskull. It was almost constant.

After the first week of it, when a pounding on his door woke Adam up in the middle of the night for the third night in a row—and the fourth night that week—he realized the toll it was taking on his friends. Grayskull's power was sustaining him, but Duncan had heavy circles under his eyes, and looked slightly unsteady on his feet. Teela had looked the same when she had gone to bed that night.

"Go back to bed, Duncan," He-Man ordered. "And don't wake Teela."

"We can't let you go alone," Duncan protested.

"I'll take Orko with me," He-Man assured him. "I promise to make him call for help if I think we need it."

Duncan nodded blearily. "If you're not sure, Adam."

He-Man quirked an eyebrow, feeling concern for Duncan even as a smile tugged at his mouth. "Duncan, you're not even talking quite right. Go back to bed." He and Battle Cat left.

As with the other instances, it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. This time, Two-Bad and Trap Jaw had terrorized a village, trying to steal all of their food.

Adam returned to the palace in time for breakfast and Teela's wrath.

"How dare you leave here without my father or me?" she demanded, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Teela, you needed sleep," Adam tried to soothe her.

"Besides, it was boring," Orko said with a yawn. Teela glared at him and turned back to Adam.

"So do you," she snapped. "I can handle anything you can handle."

"Grayskull's power is helping to sustain me for now," Adam explained calmly. Teela didn't react to that, so he tried another angle. "Besides, Teela, think about why Skeletor might be doing this."

"He's trying to wear you down, obviously!"

"I think that's one reason," Adam admitted. "And eventually it will. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up, Teela. I am getting tired. And if Skeletor is determined to get rid of me, I need my bodyguard at the top of her form. Because as Adam, I will become more and more vulnerable."

The admission stung his pride a bit, but it calmed her down immediately. Teela searched his face, noticing the circles under his eyes and the lines of weariness there. But she also saw that so far, his gaze was clear. He really was in better shape than she had been; he was right, she had needed that full night of sleep.

"Okay," she said, nodding. "Okay, you could be right. But could we at least get a few of the masters to help us out? I don't like you walking into things alone."

"Agreed," Adam said. "I'll see who He-Man can round up."

"What's the other reason?" Teela asked, recalling his wording.

"Skeletor tipped his hand to us," Adam said grimly. "He didn't want me to know about the black crystal until he could take Grayskull's power. Now he's trying to keep us so busy-"

"-we don't have time to consider it, or time to find him and stop him," Teela finished for him. "The Sorceress has been asking me to come to Grayskull. Maybe I should have listened. She may need my help."

"Perhaps," Adam agreed, his voice noncommittal. He had a suspicion, though, that it was for another reason entirely.

"Teela," the Sorceress greeted her, her voice carrying an unusual waver. "Thank you for coming."

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner," Teela told her. "With everything going on…"

"I understand." The Sorceress hesitated, but decided not to prolong it any longer. "Teela, you have long desired to know who your mother is." Her voice caught slightly, and she steadied herself.

"You know who she is?" Teela's face lit up. "Who? Who is she?"

The Sorceress opened her mouth, but the words would not come. She closed her eyes, gathered her courage, and spoke again. "I am your mother," she heard her own melodious voice say. She opened her eyes to see her daughter's reaction.

Teela's lips parted in shock. "I don't understand. How could you be-" She stopped as she suddenly recalled going to the oracle, and learning the truth from it.

"You took that knowledge away from me," she whispered, horrified. "Just as Adam said you could do about him being He-Man."

"I did," the Sorceress acknowledged quietly. Her eyes were full of tears. "If Skeletor ever knew I had a daughter-"

Teela couldn't help the groan that escaped. "Not that excuse again."

"There's more," the Sorceress corrected, firmly, but gently as always. "As you know, I believed you were to be the next Sorceress. For you to take my place here, you could never know of that destiny. When you came here, it had to be of your own free will, not a sense of obligation to me."

She paused. "I have watched over you for years, Teela. I have longed for the day when I could tell you the truth. I love you, my daughter."

Teela stared at the Sorceress, a swirl of emotions within her. The instant anger she'd felt at discovering Adam's secret was absent, and she didn't know why. She had expected Adam to tell her everything because they were close friends. She'd also been embarrassed by her treatment of him over the years. Both had contributed to her anger with him when she figured out the truth.

There was none of that with the Sorceress. The Sorceress was somewhat of an enigma to her; in her mind, Teela had placed her on a pedestal and rarely questioned the woman's decisions or wisdom. She had known in her heart that her mother was alive. The overriding emotion she felt was relief. Relief that her mother was someone she knew and respected. But although she didn't have the sense of betrayal, intermingled with her relief was hurt.

"Do you know how much I've wanted to know about my mother?" Teela demanded suddenly. "How it hurt to not have her with me when all the other girls had their mothers?"

A few stray tears escaped the Sorceress' eyes. "As much as it hurt me to have to give my daughter to someone who could raise her in safety," she answered softly. "I couldn't leave Grayskull, Teela. And it wasn't safe for you here."

Adam's questions came rushing into her mind. "What if we ignored it all and had a family one day? Would it be fair to our children? Would you be able to leave them to take your place?"

He'd been right to refuse more than friendship, Teela realized. She suddenly had a small inkling of the pain her mother had endured, separated from her daughter all this time.

"I need to think," she whispered. She backed away from the Sorceress. "I'm sorry."

The Sorceress let her go. She knew her daughter. Teela would return.

"Adam."

At the gentle reprimand in his father's voice, Adam jerked awake, his face flaming. Several noblemen were present for this meeting, and he had embarrassed his father by falling asleep.

"I'm sorry, Father." It was all he could say.

"Adam, you're clearly not feeling well. Go on and get some rest," Randor said, his tone still gentle.

"Yes, Father." Adam didn't argue. Another four days had passed, and the pace had not slackened. The good news was that they finally had Trap Jaw and Beast Man in custody. He-Man and Fisto had captured Beast Man just yesterday. His control over the animals had been creating about half of their problems. Adam only hoped things would slow down a little now. He was reaching the end of his endurance.

Crossing the courtyard, he caught sight of Teela. In spite of his exhaustion, he changed direction. She had been unusually quiet the last two days. He intended to find out why.

"Teela," he called out, only to feel a sharp sting on his back. His body went numb.

A stun ray, he realized. He cursed his own lack of attention. He should have known better than to cut across the open when he was this tired.

Teela heard Adam and turned in time to see him collapse. Her heart in her throat, she drew her pistol and called for guards. Tri-Clops was heaving the prince over his shoulder as she drew close.

"Put him down, three-eyes," she ordered, training her gun on him.

"I don't think so," he sneered. "Skeletor wants him."

"What for?" she demanded.

"Who cares?" Tri-Clops answered, pressing a button on his belt. Just then, a jug appeared over his head and dropped down, covering all of his eyes. Teela lurched forward, grabbed Adam's arm, and yanked as hard as she could. He fell free of Tri-Clops just as the villain transported back to wherever he had come from.

Hands reached down and pulled Adam gently off of Teela. She sat up, relieved to see her father, Orko, and Mekaneck among the guards.

"Orko, your timing was perfect," she said in way of thanks. The little Trollan blushed through his scarf. "Is Adam okay, Father?"

"That stun beam put him out, but he'll be fine," her father replied. "The rest will be good for him."

"Is something wrong with him?" Mekaneck asked. "Other than the fact that Skeletor's after him, that is." Teela and Duncan exchanged glances. They couldn't tell Mekaneck how exhausted Adam had seemed that morning. As far as everyone knew, the prince hadn't been involved in any of the recent battles.

"Adam hasn't been feeling well," Teela finally said. She gazed at her prince with narrowed eyes while Mekaneck watched her thoughtfully, not realizing that her sudden anger was showing on her face as a thought occurred to her.

The reprieve didn't last long; a few hours later Evil-Lyn attacked Grayskull again. Her power seemed stronger, the Sorceress noted, but with Serena's help, she wasn't a serious threat. However, the fact that she had brought Webstor, Two-Bad, Stinkor, and a small army of robots with her forced the Sorceress to call out for He-Man.

"Where do you think you're going?" Teela demanded of him as he walked through the palace.

"Evil-Lyn is attacking Grayskull again," he replied, his voice and face showing none of his earlier weariness.

"I'm going with you," she insisted.

"I'd love the company," he replied easily. As He-Man, most of the exhaustion was wiped away by Grayskull's power, but after eleven days of this, he wasn't one hundred percent. He probably could use her help.

"This is getting ridiculous," Teela muttered as they got into a wind raider. "We need to capture these guys and work on finding Skeletor."

"I agree," He-Man said, "but since their primary mission seems to be to keep me busy and away from Skeletor, they're set up for quick escapes. We got lucky with Trap Jaw and Beast Man."

His words proved true. The four villains waited until he had defeated the robots, then attacked him cautiously. As soon as he got close to defeating them, they all disappeared except for Stinkor, who Teela had managed to freeze. They called for a transport to take the evil warrior to the prison.

This small success did nothing to stem their frustration, however. He-Man clenched his fists. "This is becoming very annoying. What is Skeletor planning?"

Teela seemed anxious to leave Grayskull, and she barely acknowledged the Sorceress. As they flew back to the palace, He-Man remembered he had wanted to talk to Teela. He studied her for a moment. She seemed…unsettled, he decided. She kept drumming her fingers, and her eyes darted back and forth constantly. Vigilance was part of the job, but this was something more.

"Is everything okay, Captain?" he asked gently. Teela wondered when exactly that had gone from a title to an endearment. Coming from him in that tone, it was anything but official.

"Sure, why?"

"You've been very quiet the last two days."

She should have known she couldn't keep anything from him. "The Sorceress finally told me she's my mother."

"Thank goodness," he breathed, closing his eyes. Teela cast a startled glance his way at the heartfelt emotion in his voice.

"Why do you sound so relieved?"

He-Man offered her a lopsided grin. "Sorry, Teela, I know this is purely selfish, but it was the last secret between us. I'm glad to be rid of it."

A small smile played around her mouth. "I hadn't thought of it that way."

He-Man studied her as she flew the wind raider. "And how do you feel about it?"

"Well, I'm not as mad at her as I was at you," she confessed. "I already knew there was a secret about who my mother was, so it's not like I didn't expect something like this. The Sorceress was always this amazing woman, and to be honest there have been times I wished my mother would have been just like her. But it's hard to accept that she's been this close all this time, and I didn't know." Her voice trailed off, sounding uncertain.

"She's always loved you, Teela," He-Man said, suspecting she needed to hear it. "Of all the years I've known her, you're the only thing I've ever seen her cry over."

Teela felt a warm glow at his words. "I guess I should go talk to her again," she mused. "I left things in the air the other day." She glanced at him again. "Since we're being open and honest with each other about our parents…you ought to talk with your father, you know."

"About what?" Confusion furrowed his brow.

"You two have been at each other's throats since he learned your secret. You're both having a hard time adjusting to what it means to your relationship. The tension between the two of you is so awful…don't you think you should try to resolve it?" Teela asked.

He-Man shrugged helplessly. "Is it any different than we've always been?" he asked reasonably.

"Yes!" Teela said emphatically. "I don't know what it is about you two that you're so unbending towards each other. You're practically blind to each other's feelings. You're not like that with anyone else, so why are you like that with him?"

"I don't know," He-Man answered slowly, his brow furrowed. "I guess I tend to put a mental block there, Teela. It was safer that way, when he didn't know I was Adam. His reprimands and disappointment didn't hurt so much if I kept some distance there." She felt a small pang of guilt, knowing she'd expressed the same over the years as well. He-Man was silent a moment, pondering her words. "Thanks for pointing it out."

"No problem." Teela thought about telling him what her pledge had been, why Grayskull had rejected her. She was starting to gain the courage to trust him again, especially now that she knew there were no more secrets between them. But she still couldn't get the words out—the idea of openly confessing her love terrified her. Before she knew it, they were at the palace.

"Hey," she said, almost shyly as they got out of the wind raider. "You think we could do dinner again sometime?"

His eyes grew wide, then a smile that matched appeared as well. He reached out and stroked her cheek gently.

"Absolutely," he promised.

They didn't see someone watching.