Adora stood outside the dining room and listened to the voices within. She was trying to distinguish Adam's from the rest but was unable to. She began to worry that he wasn't in there at all and that something really had happened to him. Taking a deep breath, she walked in and gasped at the sight before her.

Usually, the dining room table had plenty of room to spare. The Royal Family, along with Duncan, Teela, and Orko, covered only a fourth—if that—of the enormous piece of furniture. Now, however, the usual table was replaced by an even larger one and almost every seat was filled except for one at the front of the table next to her mother and one next to her father. She knew those belonged to her and Adam. She could already tell who was assigned where because the women were on one side while the men were on the other even though they were at the head of everyone and obviously the center of attention.

Sighing, she walked farther inside the room and immediately went to the queen. She sat down quickly and asked, "Mother, where's Adam?"

Marlena turned startled eyes to her daughter and replied, "I thought he was with you all day." Adora shook her head, and as both women crumpled their faces with worry, Randor looked over at them merrily. As soon as he saw their expressions, though, his mirth immediately vanished. "Marlena? Adora? What's wrong?"

All conversation at the front of the table immediately silenced and eyes focused on the Royal Family.

Adora noticed their stillness and announced softly so everyone wouldn't hear, "I haven't seen Adam since we left the security meeting this morning! I thought he might have been with one of you or something, but he's not. Father, he's missing again!"

Randor immediately stood, along with King Miro, who was close enough to hear their conversation. The queen also stood, and before Randor could do or say anything, she grabbed her husband's arms and said frantically, "Oh, Randor, what if they've taken him again? We've already come so close to losing him. Please…"

Her words were interrupted by a sound coming from the corner of the room. Cringer had cleared his throat and walked to the head of the table. "A-Adam's all right. He told me to tell you if you asked that he's having a private dinner with Teela. He said he's spent all of his time with you guys recently, so he wanted a little t-time with just her."

"Oh," Randor said after a moment and with a wrinkled brow sat down abruptly. He stared at Cringer for a second more and then turned his attention to Marlena, who had also taken her seat. He leaned in closely and whispered, "I know I've had a habit of blowing things out of proportion in the past with Adam, but…I think I have a little right to be upset now, don't you think? Adam knows we have guests that he hasn't seen in a while. He knows we're having a family dinner and he simply takes off with Teela without telling anyone, not even me, you, or his sister."

Marlena nodded a little and answered, "Yes, you have a right, but I'm sure Adam isn't looking at it that way." She gestured towards the table and said, "He's probably thinking we have a big crowd so he could make himself scarce and spend a little one-on-one time with the girl he just started courting. You can't blame him for that, but even then, he should have told us so we wouldn't worry. He should know because of what happened that we wouldn't like him suddenly disappearing. Too much has happened and we know too much for him to continue that habit now."

Randor nodded and agreed, "You're quite right, my dear, and I'm going to have a little talk with him about that tonight." Before anyone could say anything, he added, "Don't worry. I won't let my temper get the best of me. I don't want his last few days on this planet before his mission to be filled with memories of us fighting. I refuse to do that to him, but he still needs to know he made an unwise decision."

With a nod from Marlena and Adora, Randor dismissed the topic from his mind temporarily and addressed the table. "Everyone, please settle down for a moment. I have a few things to say before we begin to dine. First and foremost, I want to thank all of you for coming to my aid and helping me get my son back. That means more to me than you know. I'm sorry to announce that Prince Adam will not be joining us, but I assure you that he will for breakfast in the morning. He was needed elsewhere this afternoon, but I am pleased to finally have the opportunity to introduce all of you to my daughter."

He went to Adora and said, "Before dinner starts, let me introduce you to some of our family members."

She swallowed roughly, got up from her seat, and thought, "I wish Adam was here!"

=)=)=)

Adam wanted to smile as he stared at the sometimes contumacious Captain of the Guard. He had suspected for some time that this moment would come, and honestly he was surprised it hadn't before now. Part of him had wanted to ask Teela to join him, but he hadn't wanted to be selfish. He knew he would have been asking her to leave her father, her home, and her job. That was asking a lot, especially since they had just begun to court. But, they knew each other their whole lives so the latter thing didn't really matter. They'd already do anything for one another even if they weren't courting…

Honestly, he was glad she decided to join him on her own. He knew there would be some difficulties in store for them on Etheria, but he also knew she was exactly right. Things would be more bearable to him with her there. He had friends on Etheria and he did enjoy being there, but it wasn't his home and having Teela, his lifelong friend, there would be a comfort.

He stood from his kneeling position and took her hand. At his slight tug, she got to her feet and he immediately pulled her into his arms. "As long as you're sure this is what you want, it's fine with me," he told her. "I won't complain at all."

She grinned and snapped playfully, "You better not!" She then kissed him softly at first, but then it progressed into something more that left her completely breathless by the time they pulled their mouths apart. Without fearing the answer because she was sure she already knew it, she asked, "You don't mind, do you? Because I can stay if you don't want me there."

He stared into his eyes and replied, "You can ask that after that kiss? Maybe I'll have to do it again." He leaned down, pressed his lips against hers firmly, and nipped her bottom lip playfully before seeking entrance with his tongue. By the time they pulled back again, Teela was out of questions.

"Yes, well…I have my answer now," she stated with a blush.

Adam laughed loudly. When he quieted down, though, he said, "Seriously, I'm glad you want to go. Things will be better with you there. Now, we just have to break the news to our parents."

"I think Father will see this coming," commented Teela, confidently, "so that'll be easy. He knows me well, so I'm sure he saw this coming."

Of that, Adam didn't have any doubt since he had, as well. Continuing to grin and not wanting to focus on their mission in Etheria, he said, "So, that's settled. What do you want to do after we finish our meal?"

She shrugged and answered, "We could stay up here for a while and talk. I have a feeling that starting tomorrow, things are going to get quite busy for us."

He nodded. "Yes, that's probably true. We do have the celebration, after all. But we also need to be ready to go at a moment's notice, so it would be wise to pack tomorrow, too. As soon as Adora is ready, we'll head back to Etheria immediately."

Teela eyed him curiously for a moment. "I was actually meaning to ask you about that."

"About what?" He truly had no idea what she was talking about.

"Well, don't get me wrong, I'm glad you and Adora have decided to stay on Eternia for a little while longer, but the truth is I thought you would have wanted to go after Hordak and Skeletor right away."

He sighed and gestured back to her chair for her to sit down. She complied as he did the same. "I did want to go right away," he admitted, "but it's not a good time for Adora. And, I suspect that it wouldn't be easy for Mother and Father for me to just run off to Etheria after everything that's happened. I know that without a doubt in my mind, because they're already trying to smother me." He laughed a little. "I suppose getting away from that is one of the good things about going to Etheria."

She giggled in response. Then, she said playfully, "You do know that's going to happen on Etheria, too, right?"

At his arched brow, she informed him, "Between Adora and me, we're probably going to drive you crazy. I have a feeling that she is just as protective of you now as I am. But anyway, why is it not the right time for her? I thought she would want to go back soon. I mean, I know she's the Princess of Eternia, but Etheria is her home."

He pursed his lips for a moment at her words. He didn't like hearing them. First of all, they made him worry about Adora and her mental state. Also, he didn't like the notion of Etheria being Adora's home. Those words brought up a lot of worry and anxiety that he didn't want to contemplate until Etheria was free. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he answered her. "She's having nightmares about me dying. What happened outside Snake Mountain has really shaken her—she doesn't want me out of her sight…which she's probably going to be angry about when we get home. I didn't tell her I was bringing you here, but I wanted to be alone with no one telling us 'no' and trying to stop us."

Teela reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "You can't blame her or anyone else for wanting to keep you in their sights, though. I remember that moment, too. I've had a few nightmares about it myself. I had you in my arms, frantically searching for a heartbeat and not finding one. I remember crying for Father and hoping desperately that he would find one. I had never been so scared in my entire life. I thought for a short while that we had lost you."

He frowned and with a shake of his head said, "I'm so sorry, Teela. I know that must have been painful for you." He thought about his sister and then stated absentmindedly, "It was probably a million times worse for Adora."

Teela immediately raised her brow. "What makes you say that?"

Realizing what he had muttered, he replied, "Oh! Well…we're twins."

"And?" She still had her brow raised.

Because of her response, he quickly wondered if she was offended by his comment. Knowing that she probably was, he sighed and explained, "I know it might seem unbelievable to you, and maybe it's augmented by our powers from Castle Grayskull, but Adora and I are connected in a lot of ways. I've attributed it mainly to us being twins, because I've felt her my entire life even though I didn't know it was her."

Teela's expression melted away. Now, she just listened.

"It's hard to explain, really. Remember when I was really young, sometimes I would just cry for no reason and I would tell you a part of me feels sad…or I'd feel extremely happy and have no idea why." He grinned. "When I met Adora and realized who she really was, the pieces fell into place and I knew that part of myself was her. And, that's not wishful thinking in wanting a bond with my sister, because she has used that place within herself to call me to her when she's been in danger and I always knew where to find her because of that place in me. It's…truly amazing sometimes."

He paused before staring at her seriously without looking away. "Adora said she felt me die, and I don't doubt for one second that's true." Teela gasped and he nodded in response. "She said she had wanted to die with me, and she had very nearly laid down and let Skeletor's men defeat her. The only thing that stopped her was the idea that she could save me."

Tears slipped down his cheeks. "If the reverse had happened, I don't know how I would have handled it. I do know that I don't have the power to heal, so I fear my response would have been to lie down and let them kill me. Our bond is strong, Teela, so I can't even imagine how my death must have felt to her. I know it must have been horrible, so that's why I made my earlier comment. I didn't mean to imply that your feelings were any less important than Adora's or that she loves me more than you or any other such nonsense. After all, you and I love one another, so the loss would have been…horrible, but what Adora felt was physical as well as emotional, I'm sure. We haven't talked extensively about it, but I know how I've felt in the past when she's, for the lack of a better term, transmitting, so I know the sensation had to be overwhelming for her, at least in that particular moment..."

A few tears slipped down her cheeks as she watched Adam cry. She could never stand to see him upset, so she stood, went around the table, and sat in his lap when he scooted his chair back. They wrapped their arms around one another as she observed, "I don't know if I would have survived that. Without even being able to feel you in the way that you're describing, I was hysterical at that moment—it nearly drove me crazy. Your sister is a strong woman."

"She is," Adam agreed as he wiped his eyes and then hers. "Anyway, I didn't think it was wise for us to go to Etheria to fight the Horde while everyone is still so emotional. We might end up making mistakes, which really could get someone killed…permanently, so I suggested that we stay a little longer. I do hate having to ask members of the Guard to do the work I wanted to do, but I had to make a decision and I made it. I just hope no one gets hurt while they're there in my stead."

She could make no promises on that one to comfort him. Her men were good, but Adam already knew that or he wouldn't have asked them to help no matter the circumstances. So, instead of saying something pointless, she simply dropped her head to his shoulder and tightened her hold on him.

He did the same.

=)=)=)

King Randor brought Adora to the right side of the table and said, "Adam told me he's already introduced you officially to your grandfather."

King Miro stood, despite having seen her earlier; hugged her; and told his son, "That's certainly true, but it's always good to greet my beautiful granddaughter."

Adora smiled but fidgeted when the man seated beside Miro stood and faced them.

Randor whispered to her, "Now, this is someone you haven't met officially as yourself." He placed a hand on Adora's back and moved her forward. "Adora, this is my brother and your uncle, Stefen. He's the ruler of a kingdom near the ocean called Dyperia."

"Pleased to meet you," Stefen said as he reached out and shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you," she greeted, but her attention was quickly grabbed by a guy with brown hair that was around her age, who also stood and turned to meet her. He stood beside King Stefen and extended his hand.

"I'm Dal," he said before her father had a chance to introduce him. "We're cousins. I'm King Stefen's son."

Adora nodded and replied, "It's nice to meet you, too." As another young man, who looked to be in perhaps his early teens, walked up beside him, she asked Dal, "And, who is this?" She hoped she sounded calm and friendly. She wanted her father's family to like her, but she certainly did feel like a fish out of water. She hoped they didn't pick up on that.

Prince Dal merely smiled at her and said, "This is also one of your cousins. His name is Jeremy."

She extended her hand and introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Adora." She took in the boy's appearance and compared him to Dal. They didn't look like brothers: Dal had light brown hair and Jeremy's was as black as obsidian rock. But, she knew one could never be sure, so she decided to ask. "Are you two brothers?"

The two boys immediately laughed and after a moment, Dal replied jokingly, "No way, and trust me, I'm glad he's not." Jeremy glared at him and gave him a shove, but he ignored it. He grinned and continued to talk to Adora. "He's also my cousin. You'll meet his parents in a second…I don't want to steal all of Uncle Randor's thunder."

"And, I appreciate that very much," King Randor replied with a bright smile.

As her father put his hand at the small of her back, she realized they were probably going to go to each person there. At that moment, she wished more than ever that Adam was with her. He would have been making jokes to free the tension and formality of the introductions. She simply would have felt more at ease. Even though she now knew where Adam was and why, she reached deep into herself and asked the question, "Where are you?" She didn't know if Adam would feel her anxiety, but part of her wished he would. She knew she was being a little self-centered, wanting him there to make things easier for herself, but she couldn't help the need. She would not only have someone help her with these greetings, she would also know for sure that he was okay and not in immediate danger. She wished again that he was there with her.