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Teela's Visitor Chapter 54

Adam froze as he heard his father's orders. There was absolutely no way he could abide by them! To have a bodyguard now would be detrimental to his plans to stop Durriken and Morgoth, not to mention it would be impossible to stop Skeletor if he tried anything else. He stared into Teela's worried eyes and he could tell she was also just as apprehensive about the developments. He cleared his throat and said, "Uh, Father, don't you think you're overreacting just a tad bit? I don't think the people will behave any differently than they did when you announced we were courting."

King Randor sighed and replied, "You might be surprised, son. Courting is one thing; getting married is quite another. And, let's not forget that you did have a few hiccups during your outing. Teela was attacked. Who knows how many other obsessed individuals will come out when this announcement is made! It is a bigger deal, you know. Eternia will finally have its princess and they'll know an heir will soon be possible afterward. Enemies might find this announcement to be an opportunity, and I, for one, don't want to risk it."

"But Father…"

Randor narrowed his eyes slightly. "It's not like I'm suggesting that you keep a security detail indefinitely. It's just while the news is new and threats are imminent. Once the ceremony is performed and things have settled down, things will go back to normal. I'm sure you want Teela and your unborn child protected, and I'm sure Teela wants the same thing for her child's father."

Adam knew he couldn't argue with that kind of logic. Besides, he could tell the king was getting a little perturbed that he was even trying to do so. He relented with a sigh and asked, "Can Man-at-Arms be my bodyguard at least?"

When Randor raised an eyebrow, Teela exclaimed, "That's a great idea! I would worry about the person's competency if it were anyone else!" She winked at her husband when he smiled at her.

The king glanced over at Man-at-Arms who stood there quietly, listening to the conversation. "What do you say about all of this, Duncan? You already have other responsibilities."

Duncan shrugged and answered, "It actually wouldn't be all that different. Adam is with me half the time, anyway. And, Teela's right—she would be paranoid if it were anyone else, and it would be wise to keep her calm." He chuckled when Teela stuck her tongue out at him playfully—she hadn't done that since she was a kid. "And, you said it was temporary. Besides, I know Adam the best aside from Teela. I think I'm a good candidate."

Randor nodded. "If that's what you want, but if it becomes too much, tell me and I'll find Adam someone else. As for you Teela, do you have any suggestions on who your guard is to be?"

She shrugged. "Whoever you assign will be fine, Your Highness. I won't be traveling too far from the palace anyway. I just made a promise to Adam that I wouldn't."

Randor smiled brightly at Adam and commented, "It's good to see you taking charge and making wise decisions in regards to your family, son."

"Thank you, Father," Adam said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He didn't really like the way his father worded his praise—"taking charge"—even though he was sure the king didn't mean anything by it. He glanced at Teela worriedly to see her reaction, but she didn't show any. She merely stood there.

Randor then walked to Adam's side and put an arm around his shoulders as he pulled him along with him. "I also think you should take a trip to Etheria pretty soon."

This shocked him. "Uh, what? Why?"

Randor turned to face him and placed his fists on his hips. "Well, you are going to tell Adora about your marriage and Teela's pregnancy, right? I think she would like to be there for the ceremony, at least."

It ashamed Adam that he hadn't even thought about his sister. Things had just been so crazy and overwhelming that he hadn't been able to think about anything besides Teela. But suddenly, he was glad that his father made the suggestion! Not only would Adora want to be there for the wedding, she would possibly want to help out with Morgoth and Durriken! "I'll do that today," he agreed.

"Tomorrow might be best," Randor said with a smile. "I want you here for the announcement and I know how you are when you leave to do things before big events. You either don't show up at all or you're late. We can't risk that this time. Instead, you're both going to meet with the seamstress to make sure whatever formalwear you decide to wear fits properly and is in immaculate condition."

"Yes, sir," Adam mumbled.

King Randor nodded once and after he walked several feet away, he turned back and requested happily, "Oh, and son…wear your crown."

=)=)=)

Adam sat at a picnic table in the courtyard, facing Man-at-Arms. Teela was sitting on his right side. Orko was floating above the table and Cringer was on the ground staring at him intently. "We need to have a plan," he said determinedly. "I can't go to Snake Mountain today because of Father's announcement, but perhaps I can go tonight."

"I think you should go in the morning," Teela countered. "I don't want you tired, and before you say He-Man doesn't tire, Prince Adam does! Besides…" she trailed off and whispered in his ear, "I don't want to sleep without you ever again."

He smiled at her and gave her a brief kiss on the lips. "I don't want to either." After a pause, he concluded, "So, morning it is."

Teela smiled triumphantly and mumbled, "Well, that didn't take much convincing. I'm so glad." They kissed each other again chastely.

Duncan looked back and forth between the couple in front of him and shook his head in amusement. "What?" they asked when they saw his expression.

"Nothing," he answered, waving both of his hands back and forth hesitantly. "It's just that it's amazing how much your relationship and marriage suits the both of you. While neither one of you were immature, there has definitely been a change for the better." When Adam raised his brow, Duncan explained, "You both talk about your thoughts and feelings before making decisions. You do your best to protect one another, and you try to make the other happy regardless of the situation." He laughed. "You're both calmer and more relaxed despite the fact that things have been getting rather tough. I just…have no doubt that you two were meant for each other. It's like you balance the other out."

Adam smiled as he glanced over at his wife. "That's precisely how I feel, Duncan. I can't imagine life without her anymore. I can't imagine her not being my wife."

Teela reached out and grabbed his hand to give it a squeeze. "I can't imagine it, either," she agreed. "Regardless of what happens, I'm glad we got married and that we didn't wait."

His smile widened as they stared at each other and Man-at-Arms cleared his throat to get their attention back.

"Yes, well, the question is how we are going to get Durriken from Skeletor. We don't know if he is staying there willingly or not. It is possible Skeletor heard Durriken's tale and then forced him to stay…"

Adam interrupted him. He thought about the last vision he had of Durriken and knew it would effectively dismiss Duncan's hope that maybe Durriken wasn't truly on Skeletor's side. "No, he is working with Skeletor. In my vision earlier, he arrived at the palace with him. He wasn't forced to be there. It was like they were partners."

"Are you sure?" Duncan asked.

He nodded. "Yes, there is no mistaking what I saw."

"All right," Duncan said. "Then that means Durriken will probably be wherever Skeletor is. We need to be prepared for a fight."

When Adam nodded, Teela shook her head and said, "I don't like this. I hate that you have to go at all!"

He knew she was frightened, especially since she couldn't help. He believed wholeheartedly those were the true reasons behind her words, but instead of calling her out on it, he wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted his other hand to her cheek. "Yes, I know. It isn't fair, but coming home to you and A.J. and knowing that I've done all I can to ensure that my family is safe will make it worth it. A.J. and you mean the world to me and I will do anything to make sure you're both well and happy."

She smiled and nodded a little as she rubbed her belly that wasn't even showing yet. "It's hard to believe he's on his way, isn't it? I'm happy and terrified all at the same time. I just know that I can't stand the thought of him growing up without you if something should happen."

"Nothing will happen. I'll make sure of it. You hear me?" He tilted his head to stare at her intensely.

She nodded reluctantly.

=)=)=)

Teela was in his bathing chamber taking a shower and he was staring in a mirror. Before him, he saw the Prince Adam that he was always supposed to be, the Prince Adam that he truly was. He stood confident with his shoulders straight and his head held high. He didn't currently wear a pink tunic with lavender tights and purple fur-pants. No, instead, he was wearing a dark purple tunic with a black belt and black pants, and on top of his head sat a large golden band that signified that he was the Crown Prince of Eternia…

He rarely wore it. And, it wasn't because he hated the prestige of it all or that he thought he didn't deserve it. Instead, he never wore it because when he was younger, he hadn't wanted people, especially his comrades-in-arms, to look at him as their leader. He-Man was to take that role and he didn't want people to equate Adam with He-Man. A few years later, he knew he had made a mistake with his decision. He had gone too far in differentiating himself from He-Man. But now, he could correct it. His marriage with Teela was good for him in so many ways. Not only was he getting the family he always wanted with the woman he always loved, he was able to make Prince Adam a new man. No one would be surprised to see Prince Adam growing up. Marriage would do that to a man after all. Everyone knew a man would cease his puerile actions and stop acting like a bachelor when he no longer was one.

Now, he could be the man he always wanted to be…for Teela and himself.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't heard his bathroom door open until Teela slipped her arms around him from behind. He grinned and turned around slowly. His wife stood there in a matching purple dress. It was sleeveless with a deep plunging neckline in the front and the back. The front, however, was modestly covered with black lace that only hinted at the cleavage underneath. He moaned a little and whispered, "You look beautiful."

Teela smiled and brushed her hair which was loose—aside from the strands that were pulled away from her face and held together with a ponytail—from her shoulders. "You don't look so bad, yourself, Prince Adam."

He looked down at his attire and said playfully, "Do you really like it? If you want me to get back in the pink and lavender, I'll go change."

When she glared at him, he laughed heartily. "Hey, I was just checking!" he exclaimed with a wave of his hand innocently.

His wife, then, slipped her arms around his waist and pressed herself against him. "I think I like this new attire, not that you don't look delectable in everything that you wear…"

"Delectable, huh?" he questioned. He leaned down and met her lips in a soft kiss. When they pulled back, he asked softly, "Are you ready for the announcement? Soon, you'll publically be the prince's fiancée."

She shrugged and remarked, "That's nowhere near as good as being your wife."

"I agree," he mumbled, meeting her lips briefly once more.

She shrugged and admitted, "I'm glad that things are moving along a lot faster. I know we're already husband and wife, but it will feel even more real, I think, when the public knows."

He nodded. "I know what you mean." He placed a hand lightly on her belly and said, "Just like when this little guy starts showing, it will make his arrival seem all the more real." He moved his thumb back and forth as he stared at her abdomen. After a few seconds, he looked up and met her eyes with his.

He wasn't surprised to see the tears there—he just wasn't sure if they were there for a good reason or a bad one. Either was possible, he knew. "Are you okay with everything? You know, our marriage, the announcement…A.J.?"

She let out a shaky breath and admitted, "I won't lie, Adam. It's a lot to adjust to in such a short period of time, but I wouldn't change anything. I'm so thankful to be your wife and to be the woman to give you your son."

Adam moved the hand that was resting on her abdomen to her hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed her fingers lightly. "And, I'm thankful to be your husband and the man who will make you a mother."

More tears gathered in her eyes and he knew they needed to talk about this. It wasn't the most ideal time in the world, but he didn't want to put it off until later. Everything that had happened recently showed him that you never knew what would happen next. He whispered softly, "Teela, you are happy about A.J., right?"

She immediately widened her eyes and nearly shouted, "Of course, Adam! I'm very happy about A.J.! Like I just said, I am so very glad to be the one to carry your son. I wouldn't have it any other way."

He brought a hand to her cheek and rubbed the bone there with his thumb lightly. "I know what you've said, and I know you mean it, but I can't help but wonder how you feel now…you know, about being a mother. I know it's a little frightening to you."

She looked down at the floor and frowned. "It's frightening, yes. It's frightening, because I never had a mother to teach me how to be one, but that doesn't mean I hate the fact that I'm pregnant. Nothing could be further from the truth. I just that…I'm glad that you'll be there to help me, just in case I'm not perfect."

Adam laughed. "Teela, no parent is perfect! I highly doubt there ever will be one!"

She nodded at the floor and mumbled, "Yeah, I know." When she looked up, she confessed, "That's partly why I'm worried. I know I'm not going to be perfect and I have a lot of parental issues. And, I'm afraid that I won't know what I'm doing. The one comfort that I have is that I know you are going to be a fantastic father and that you'll be there to help me…That's why I'm so…crazy when it comes to you going to Snake Mountain or handling everything with Morgoth. It would kill me if something happened to you because I love you so much, but to add A.J. to the equation…I can't imagine raising him without you and…"

Tears slipped down her cheeks.

Instantly, Adam wrapped his arms around her completely and pulled her to him. "Hey, Teela, everything's going to be okay! I'm fine and I'm going to continue to be fine!"

"But you don't know that!" she exclaimed.

He pulled back a little to look into her eyes. "But I do," he insisted. "Remember, I've seen glimpses of the future and nothing I've seen indicates that I'm going to die anytime soon."

"But we're trying to change that future. What if things end up worse than they would have been?"

He sighed. "Teela, nothing on this planet will take me from you and A.J. I finally have everything I have ever wanted in my life and I'm not going to let either of you go nor will I leave you. You're not going to raise A.J. alone. I'll be there, I promise." He then bit his lip and added, "But Teela, even if something should happen…" He paused when she widened her eyes. "IT WON'T!" he insisted loudly. "But even if something did happen, you wouldn't raise A.J. alone. You have my parents and Man-at-Arms to help you." He huffed amusedly a little and added, "Even Orko would be there to help and he's great with kids. I know that better than anyone. A.J. is going to have a great childhood. He's going to have plenty of people around that is going to love him and help you raise him. I want to be there for him and I will be, but I'm not concerned if something should ever happen to me. You'll do a great job. I have no doubts, so you shouldn't either. The fact that you worry about it so much tells me you're going to do everything you can to be a great mom, so you will be."

Teela leaned up and kissed Adam on the lips. She held her mouth on his for several long seconds when a loud knock on the door interrupted them. They pulled apart when they heard Man-at-Arms' voice.

"Adam, Teela. It's time. King Randor wants you both present in court when he makes the announcement, so let's get going."

=)=)=)

Sorry that it took me a while to get this out. I know it's not the best chapter in the world, but I hope you enjoy it. The next chapter will definitely have the announcement, its fallout, and maybe even more on the whole Adora front, haha! Let me know what you think if you're so inclined! Thanks! (Oh, and sorry if there are any typos. I don't have time tonight to do an extensive proofread, but I will soon!)