It felt so good to be in his own bed again. He had almost grown used to resting on hospital beds and hard, cold dungeon floors, thanks to Skeletor. Being in his room now felt like a luxury he had very much taken for granted, and he had. Unfortunately, he knew he wouldn't be able to enjoy it for much longer. Soon, he would be in Etheria, sleeping under a tent in a bed that the Rebellion had either made or bought from townspeople who were getting rid of an old worn-out one. The bed wouldn't be as comfortable as this one, so he had plans to sleep in late and simply enjoy it.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to relax. He had spent the last hour or so thinking about what he would do once he got to Etheria, but he knew if he wanted to get any rest at all, he would have to put those thoughts aside for now. Just as he started to feel like he might nod off, he heard his bedchamber door open. He opened his eyes and watched a faint outline move towards him. Instinctively, he knew who it was.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as the figure drew near the bed and finally slipped into it with him. "Is something wrong?"

He felt Adora shake her head as she slipped an arm around his waist and rested her head near his. She cleared her throat a little and replied, "No, I'm just so wound up that I couldn't sleep. Besides, I'm still not used to sleeping here and…" She trailed off as she shrugged.

He smiled. "And, you knew you'd feel more comfortable and safe with your big brother."

She smiled as well and slapped his shoulder playfully. "Hey, you're not much older than me! You might be able to brag about a few minutes, but that's it! So, don't act all macho!"

He laughed and slipped an arm around her shoulders so she could snuggle to his side. "Regardless, you're more than welcome to stay, sis," he said with a yawn. He then relaxed his body and closed his eyes again so he could finally try to get some rest, but now that Adora was in the room with him, he found that he wasn't able to calm his thoughts.

He glanced over at his sister and saw that her eyes were wide open and staring at him. She almost looked sad—or was it scared?—but before he could question why or what was wrong, she slipped closer to him, rested her head on his shoulder, and whispered, "So, you plan on coming back to Etheria with me."

He held her tighter for a moment and then replied, "Yes, I don't like your odds when Skeletor and Hordak are there together, so I want to make sure the Rebellion is on equal footing…or at least as strong as it can be."

"And, it's never stronger than when He-Man and She-Ra are there together."

"Precisely," he agreed. "I think I'm needed there more now…" He thought for a moment, and then added, "But that's if you want me to be there. If you don't want me to come…"

Adora spoke instantly. "Of course, I want you there!" she exclaimed. "I think it would be great to have you on Etheria for an extended visit! We could finally spend real time together…you know, as a family instead of comrades-in-arms! And, I wouldn't have to worry about you as much as I would have if I had gone back alone—"

"Worry about me?" questioned Adam, who was slightly surprised. "What do you mean?"

She remained silent for a long time until Adam spoke her name questioningly. She sighed and finally admitted, "It's the same reason why I'm in here tonight. I never got a chance to talk to you alone really since it happened, but Adam, I felt you…die at Snake Mountain and since that time I've been having awful flashbacks when I'm alone."

"What?" he gasped. He immediately scooted up in bed and touched his lamp to turn on the lights.

Cringer popped his head up from the floor sleepily and whined, "Adam, it can't be m-m-morning, yet. You just got here and…" The tiger stopped speaking when he saw Adora and her emotional state.

She had tears streaming down her face as she relived that moment in her mind again. "It felt like a part of myself had died and I was writhing in pain," she recalled. "It almost overwhelmed me as I was fighting Skeletor's men. I wanted to lie down and die, too, but I told myself that I'd be able to save you, that I couldn't just accept that you were gone. And, since that time, we've only had more situations that have put you in danger. My anxiety keeps getting larger and larger. It's to the point where I don't want you out of my sight, and I know I'm being irrational and super-sensitive, but I can't help it! I know firsthand how Father felt when he took our swords to protect us, but I didn't want to lay my burden on you, so I kept my feelings to myself. Then, Skeletor kidnapped you and you didn't even have your sword! I was so frightened, and I'm still so frightened that I'm going to lose you!"

Adam quickly pulled Adora into his arms and rocked her gently as she began to sob. "It's okay, Adora," he whispered. "I'm here and I'm fine." He kissed her forehead gently and continued to soothe her frazzled mind. "You're worn out and tired. So much has happened that it's finally getting to us. All these events are piling up in our minds and it's starting to show. We have to let it all go to move on, but I know that's hard." He paused and pulled back to look at her. "Do you want to stay on Eternia a little longer? We could rest and spend time together…we could mentally prepare ourselves for whatever will happen on Etheria. Father already has guards with the Rebellion. We can send a little more to keep watch until we feel ready to go! The Sorceress can send us to Etheria quickly if something starts to happen."

She looked up a little, sniffled, and then nodded her head.

He nodded back and pulled her into his arms again. "Then, that's what we'll do," he whispered and resumed rocking her.

=)=)=)

Adam and Adora weren't the only ones in the palace who found themselves restless. King Randor had just gotten back from Castle Grayskull and he wasn't able to tear his eyes from the ceiling. He didn't know what he was going to do. He had asked the Sorceress if he should plead with Adam to stay on Eternia for a while longer or if he should let him go. She had told him to let Adam decide.

He knew what Adam's choice would be…and he didn't like it.

But he wasn't going to make the same mistake he had made for the past two years and especially recently. He wasn't going to force his desires and opinions on his son, no matter how badly he wanted to.

"You need to get some sleep, Randor," he heard his wife call out to him.

He smiled a little and glanced over at Marlena. "You do, too, my dear," he replied. He knew she was having just as much trouble sleeping as he was. After everything that had happened recently, it was hard to get his brain to shut down.

The queen moved close to her husband's side and said, "I know, Randor. I'm trying my best, but feeling anxious about Adam and Adora's safety and watching you fret aren't exactly helping.

"I'm sorry, Marlena," he mumbled. "I'm afraid I can't do anything about your anxiety, but I'll try to relax. It's hard, though."

"I know," she whispered, rubbing a hand back and forth over his chest. "It's not your fault. Really, worrying about Adam is taking precedent over everything else. Skeletor seems to have set his sights on him, and I keep wondering when he's going to pop up next. Will he try to take Adam as he's sleeping? Will he try to kill him while he's traveling somewhere with Man-at-Arms or Teela? It's nerve-wrecking. I just wish those villains would leave our children alone."

The king nodded and kissed her on the forehead as he ran his fingers through her hair. "It is nerve-wrecking," he agreed, "but I think I know something that will help…at least for tonight, anyway."

When she looked at him questioningly, he suggested, "Let's check on the twins. We can make sure they're in their rooms and sleeping soundly. Daylight will be in a couple of hours and we'll let them sleep in. We will, as well, and at that time there will be a lot more guards awake and on duty. We'll be able to have some relief from all the worries, even if it is just for a little while."

She nodded. "Yes, that's a good idea. After all, the sooner Adam and Adora get up, the sooner they'll want to go to Etheria. It's good to prolong that," she mumbled.

He stared at his wife sadly before getting out of bed and extending his hand to her. Ignoring her words because he didn't want to think about that right now, he replied, "Let's go see our children." She took his hand and he pulled her to her feet.

=)=)=)

The hallway of the palace was eerily quiet and dark. In this distance at each end of the corridor, Randor saw several of his guards standing there, patrolling and looking outward down the other halls. Ever since Skeletor had taken Adam during the night, he had increased the guards' numbers at that time. He wasn't going to take any chances, and seeing them now was a comfort. No one would have gotten by them. They seemed very alert, and they had even turned and spotted them. Randor nodded at them and smiled gratefully.

Without explanation to the guards, they went to Adora's bedroom since it was the only bedroom to their left. He didn't knock, because he didn't want to wake her. Instead, he turned the knob slowly and cracked the door open. When no creaks were heard, he sighed in relief and went ahead and opened the door without worrying about making any noises.

The room was dark and he could barely see a thing, so they both stepped inside and walked to the bed. What met their eyes startled them more than they could ever express! Adora's bed had obviously been slept in, but she wasn't there now!

"Where is she?" cried Marlena frantically as she turned panicked eyes to her husband.

Randor glanced around the room anxiously and said, "Check the bathroom. I'll go to the balcony."

Each ran to their designations and quickly returned to one another. "She's not there!" she said hurriedly. "Oh, Randor! What if they've taken her again!"

Randor shook his head and then widened his eyes. "Adam! What if they've taken Adam, too!"

Quickly, as fast as they could go, they ran to Adam's room and flung the door open as the Guards ran to them. They could tell from the king and queens' frantic movements that something was horribly wrong.

The Royal Couple stepped inside and as they got closer to the bed, they calmed significantly and gestured for the guardsmen to leave. They made their way around the bed to the other side, so they could avoid stepping on Cringer, and hugged one another as they stared at the sight they had longed for since the day Adora had been taken:

Adam and Adora were sleeping together, just like they had when they were babies. Adora had her head so close to Adam's that their hair was running together, so it was hard to tell where hers ended and his began. Also, they had a tight hold on one another. Adora almost seemed to be clutching her brother in her sleep, and Randor observed that every so often, Adam would rub his hand that was around her down her arm as if he were comforting her. It was also then that he noticed Adora's erratic breathing. Every once in a while, it would catch and she'd struggle to get air to her lungs. He let go of Marlena and stepped closer to the bed. He could see tears slipping down the side of her face, even though she was sound asleep. Adam also looked upset.

"She's crying," he whispered to Marlena. "What's wrong?"

She wasn't going to ponder. Even though she knew it would wake Adora up, she sat beside her children and reached a hand out to wipe her daughter's cheek.

Simultaneously, Adora opened her eyes. "Mother?" she questioned and she quickly realized she was crying, so she wiped at her cheeks.

Because of her actions, Adam also woke up. He saw his mother sitting beside Adora and his father hovering over all of them behind her. "What's going on?" he asked.

Randor spoke first. "We came to check on you. Adora wasn't in her room, so we got a little scared." He gestured towards his sister. "Your sister was crying in her sleep, and you know you're mother. She can't stand to see her babies crying without knowing why."

Marlena glared at him a little but didn't really mean the hostility. "That's right. How can you fault a mother for that?" She turned back to her daughter and asked, "What's wrong, Adora?"

She shook her head and turned to bury her face into Adam's shoulder.

When both parents looked upset and glanced at him questioningly, he wrapped both arms around his sister and supplied an answer: "Adora's been reliving the moment that I…" He paused as he saw his father flinch. He decided to reword what he was going to say. "She's been reliving the moment when I got hurt at Snake Mountain."

"Which time?" asked Marlena, somewhat angrily, but they knew it wasn't directed towards any of them. She was focused on Adora and stroking her hair, so she wasn't aware of her tone.

"You know, the time…" he replied. "The worst time."

She suddenly gasped, realizing the moment he was referring to. Randor sat beside her and shared, "I keep reliving that moment, too. It was the absolute worst moment in my life, and I'll never forget it, ever." He reached out a hand and rubbed Adora's back comfortingly. "But the pain of that memory will fade for the both of us in time, Adora. Your brother is alive and well. You and the Sorceress made sure of that."

She pulled away from Adam and sniffled. "I know," she mumbled. "I'm sorry for being overemotional."

Marlena grabbed Adora's chin softly and pulled it so they could look at one another. "Who's overemotional?" she asked with tears slipping down her cheeks. "You almost lost your brother. How could that not affect you? I wasn't even there and I find myself overwhelmed and worried."

Adam sighed and sat up in bed. "I think I have some news that might help everyone," he said softly, hoping it would brighten at least his parents' mood. He couldn't handle everyone falling into a pit of despair at the same time. It would pull him down, too.

When his parents looked at him expectantly, he announced, "Adora and I have decided to postpone our trip to Etheria. We want to focus our minds and rest before we go. We won't do the Rebellion any good if we're tired and stressed out…but that's only if you can spare a few more soldiers to go to Etheria. With Skeletor there, I'd just feel better if…"

Randor grabbed Adam's hand and squeezed it. "Say no more. It's done. We'll figure out the numbers in the morning. I want you both here for as long as you need, and I'll do anything I can to make that happen. I think it'll be good for all of us."

Adam grinned and replied softly, "Yeah, it'll give us all a chance to be together as a whole family again. I think that's just what we all need right now. And, I don't know, maybe we could throw a party to have some fun. You know, we could celebrate Snake Mountain's destruction and the capture of Skeletor's allies. Make it a festival and spread it throughout Eternos. I think it would calm the entire kingdom and possibly the whole planet down after all the stress Skeletor has put everyone through."

Randor widened his eyes for a moment at Adam's suggestion but then smiled. "All right. We'll do it," he agreed. He chuckled a little and asked in amusement, "Is there anything else you would like while we're at it, Adam?"

Adam's grin widened before he brought his hand up to his chin and seemed to ponder. "No, I think that's it for now," he answered. "But I'll let you know when I come up with something else."

Everyone in the room laughed. Randor squeezed his son's shoulder as before he stood and replied, "You do that, son."

Afterward, the Royal Family said their goodnights and finally got some rest.

=)=)=)

The next morning Adam and Adora slept in late, but they were still on time for breakfast. In fact, they had beaten Man-at-Arms and Teela. King Randor and Queen Marlena were already seated in their usual spots and Adam walked around the table to go to his.

Adora stared at the seating arrangements and frowned. Normally, she would have sat across from Adam…but today she didn't want to. As everyone exchanged pleasantries and inquiries as to how everyone had slept, she walked around the table and settled beside her brother. At everyone's questioning looks, she explained, "I want to sit beside Adam today, so Teela can have her usual seat." She knew that's where Teela sat when she wasn't present.

"That's fine, dear," replied Marlena. She then glanced at the door and said aloud, "I wonder where Man-at-Arms and Teela are."

Precisely at that moment, the two being discussed walked into the room as Adam leaned over and teased his sister a little. "How long do you plan on keeping a close-eye on me?" he asked.

She ducked her head in embarrassment that Adam knew why she wanted to be close to him, but she couldn't help that she was still worried about him! She glanced over, prepared to apologize but stopped when she saw him looking at her warmly. He didn't mind. She sighed in relief and answered truthfully: "For as long as you let me."

He grinned and said, "Well, that might be for a really long time. Are you sure you can put up with me?"

She smiled and said, "Most definitely."

At that moment, Teela walked to her normal seat and stood behind it. "Um, Adora, this is your usual seat. I…don't want to take your spot," she said softly.

Adora looked up at her, smiled, and said, "Oh, you can sit there. I wanted to be beside Adam."

At that moment, Teela frowned and Adora saw it. She knew why the captain was upset: she was currently sitting in what was supposed to be Teela's seat when the princess was on Eternia, and this was precisely the seat that Teela had wanted to sit in this morning, too. She couldn't help but smile at Teela. She knew she was being a little catty, but ever since the captain and her brother had kissed, Teela—and their father and Skeletor, of course—had taken up almost all of Adam's time and attention. And, even when they were together without Teela, Skeletor, or their father being present, they were the usual topics. She knew Adam and Teela were technically courting now and she was truly happy for them, but at the same time, now that things were calmer, she refused to allow Teela to push her aside when it came to Adam. She knew Teela would do it without even really thinking about it, just like she had done when they were figuring out ways to rescue her brother from Snake Mountain that first time. Adam wasn't solely the Captain of the Guard's property now that they were seeing one another. Shewas Adam's twin and they were an important part of each other's lives. She knew this simple switch of seats would remind Teela of that. As Teela's frown deepened when she sat down without comment, Adora knew the message had been received.