Part Two: The Secret Garden

 
“Are we there yet?” Teela sighed as he continued to lead her farther away from their home.

“Actually … yes we are,” Adam said in amusement. She felt Adam reach around her head and began untying the blindfold and when it came off she blinked to adjust her eyes. As soon as her vision became clear her eyes widened in shock and her hand went to her mouth in disbelief. “Oh Adam …”

She glanced around at the old grove -  their grove. It wasn’t a very large opening in the forest but Teela recognized it instantly at the sight of the old stone fountain with a statue of the woman that the Pelleezeans mistook her for months earlier. She smiled as she walked around the garden grove as Adam laid out the blanket and picnic basket. “Adam … I haven’t been here in years …” She said with a beaming smile to the prince. She continued walking around and finally stopped before a large tree.

 “Adam … this is our tree …” She said tenderly touching a carving on the old tree. It was in the shape of a heart with the letters ‘A’ and ‘T’ with a plus sign in between. “It’s grown.”

 “In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve not exactly stayed little ourselves,” Adam said as he set out their lunch.

“My appetite’s also grown a good bit, so what did you bring to eat?” Teela asked coming back to sit on her knees on the blanket and Adam pulled out bread and sandwich supplies.

“Only the best,” Adam said as she sat down and helped him prepare the sandwiches.

The couple sat and ate silently, enjoying the sounds of the wilderness and the running water of the fountain.

Teela after finishing her sandwich got up and continued looking around the forgotten area. “I still can’t believe we stopped coming here, even before … ya know,” She said sheepishly referring to their down stage of their friendship after his sixteenth birthday. Adam gave a wistful smile her way as he packed up the blanket and leftovers and put them in the basket.

“It was as much my fault as yours Teela, if not more mine as you often reminded,” He teased as he sat the basket down and moved to sit at the base of their tree.

“Not my fault you left yourself wide open for punishment,” She returned playfully before turning to look around some more. “I remember, when we were little I wanted to live with you out here. Remember Adam? We were going to cut down those trees right over … here yeah! And we were going to build a log cabin just big enough for the two of us, and we’d live out the rest of our lives just sitting here listen to the fountain water run. Remember that, Adam? Adam?” She asked again turning to see him lying against the tree with his hands behind his head fast asleep.

“Boyfriend or not, you’re still too lazy,” She rolled her eyes as she moved toward him as quietly as she could. She got down on her hands and knees then laid down beside him with her arms and head resting on his stomach.  “Lazy, a bit of a chicken, but … you are comfortable …” She whispered before following him to dreamland.

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“YOU TRAMP!” Teela heard as she spun on one leg from the impact on her cheek. Teela glanced up in shock at the red faced, blonde headed girl towering over her. “How could you do that to him?” the blond bellowed throwing off her vest, ready to fight.

 “What are you talking about?” Teela asked pulling herself to her feet.

“My brother, you idiot,” the blonde snarled, her blue eyes glaring daggers. “How could you just … break his heart like that! He’s the most loving person on this gods forsaken planet and you did THAT to him!”

“I didn’t do anything,” Teela shook her head as she pulled herself to her feet only to fly back to the ground again by a hard upper cut from the blond.

“Like the Fright Zone you did,” the blond hissed. “He loved you, you worthless piece of Eternian trash, and you pulled this crap!”

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“Teela, are you ok?” she heard Adam’s voice and her eyes snapped open to look up at the worried prince.

“Just a weird dream,” She said sitting up and scooting back to sit beside the prince. Despite what she said her breath was still labored as if she had been in a fight, and she could still feel the pain in her jaw from where she was hit in her dream.

“You want to talk about it?” Adam asked sliding his hand down her arm to lace his fingers with hers.

“Just dreamed I got beaten up by a girl,” Teela said with a faint blush.

 “A girl?” Adam snickered, “Thought I was the only one dreaming of seeing you in a catfight.” He teased, only to get slapped in the shoulder.

“I’m serious,” Teela rolled her eyes, then went into describing the dream and the girl in it.

Teela narrowed her eyes upon finishing her story when she saw Adam no longer was chuckling but looking at her strangely. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just … I don’t know the girl sounds … familiar that’s all.” Adam forced a smile, “Want to start walking home, I … just remembered something I needed to tell your dad.”

“What about?” Teela asked as the coupled climbed to their feet.

“Well … I’ll tell you on the way, ok?” Adam said uncomfortably.

“Sure,” Teela said with a small smile as Adam picked up the basket and they started back toward the palace.

The couple walked out of their hidden place and started trough the palace in silence, Teela taking peaks at the prince every now and then to see his eyes working in thought. “Adam, what’s wrong? Don’t tell me it’s nothing, because I can tell you’re upset…”

“Teela …” Adam took a deep breath, before taking her hand in his free hand. “You know… you know how most people, even Dad, they do their job, they come home, kiss their girlfriend or wife hello, have a nice dinner, you know?”

“No … not really…” Teela said awkwardly.

“I’ve got what I guess you could call a double life,” Adam sighed looking up at the sky through the tree tops. “I know everyone thinks I just go fishing and sleep in all my free time but … they don’t know what I really do, no one … well almost no one knows what I really do … who I really am … you’re Dad’s one of the few that knows the real me Teela …” Adam stopped and turned Teela to face him.

“Oh gods …” Teela moaned her cheeks paled. “You’re betrothed aren’t you?”

 “ANCIENTS NO!” Adam cried out, dropping the basket to take both her hands in his. “At least … not that I know of …”

“Oh … good …” Teela added with a small voice.

“Anyway … the truth is … you’re about to get shot!” He said tackling her to the ground to dodge an energy blast.

“The Prince and his Concubine,” Tri-Klops laughed as he approached, “I lost Skeletor’s creations, but I think he’ll forgive me if I bring you two in.”

“Over my dead body,” Adam growled as he drew his sword and leapt toward the cybernetic minion.

“ADAM! NO!” Teela called after him right when one of Tri-Klops energy blasts struck him dead in the chest in mid jump, sending him flying backwards into the bushes. 

“I have to admit his highness has great taste in women,” Tri-Klops smiled down at the young Master, ignoring the sound of thunder in the distance.

Teela reached for her staff when a third voice spoke up. “I was having a pretty all right day, Tri-Klops,” He-Man said stepping out of the bushes with a very angry look on his face. “I’ll go as far as to say I was having a good day.”

“He-Man?” Tri-Klops backed away in surprise, “What are you doing here?” He asked, but the only answer he received was He-Man’s fist closing around the chest of his uniform and lifted him into the air.

“Now, because of you showing up, I’m having a bad day, do you know what that means?” He-Man snarled.

Tri-Klops shook his head no as He-Man reared back his free fist. “It means you’re about to have a REALLY bad day.”

Teela shielded her eyes from the violent beating but her ears were unable to block out Tri-Klops cries for mercy.

“You ok, Teela?” He-Man asked, after Tri-Klops unintentional retreat via a very strong thunder punch.

“Yeah … I’m fine but … ADAM!” She said scrambling to her feet and diving into the bushes the way Adam flew.

“Right, you’re welcome, I’ll let you get to the Prince,” He-Man muttered before drawing his sword again and easing into the opposite bushes.

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“Adam! Adam where are you?!” Teela called out frantically, searching through the forest. “Adam, answer me! Please …”

 “Teela, are you ok?” Adam spoke behind her, stiffly moving through the forest favoring his smoking bruised and slightly burned chest.

“Thank the elders you’re alright!” Teela threw her arms around him, and stiffened when he released a painful hiss at the contact.  “You …YOU IDIOT!” Teela pulled back, her eyes burning with anger and brimmed with unshed tears. “What were you THINKING, Tri-Klops could have KILLED YOU!

“What?” Adam blanched at her outburst.

“You just … you just jumped at him like that, you knew what Tri-Klops could do, yet you still jumped in without thinking,” Teela scolded, swiping the angry tears from her eyes, “Why do you have to be such a fool sometimes, Adam? Why?”

“Well now,” Adam said his own temper starting to flair up at her attitude, “A month ago you got angry at me when I WOULDN’T fight, now that I try, you get upset? How can I win Teela, cause right now I don’t know what you want from me!”

 “It was different back then!” Teela replied heatedly.

“Care to explain?” Adam shot right back in her face.

“YOU’RE MINE NOW!” She shouted in his face, finally letting a tear slide down her flushed cheek. She looked away still unwilling to let anyone especially Adam see her shed tears. “I used to want you to be my knight in shinning armor, Adam, I wanted you to be like the princes father used to read to me about in fairy tales, but … when Tri-Klops hit you just now … I don’t want you to fight Adam. You’re a decent fighter Adam, I admit that but you’re not on the level of Skeletor and his minions and if you … if you got hurt in a fight … Adam I don’t know what I’d do.”

“I … I won’t get hurt, Teela,” Adam said awkwardly.

“Promise me you won’t fight,” Teela ordered stubbornly.

“I can’t promise that …” Adam sighed looking away. “Teela I have to it’s just that I’m …”

“Fine, if you want to be a big hero and make your stick in the mud father notice you in the WRONG way go ahead, go on out there in your dad’s armor and get yourself killed but don’t expect me to weep for your idiot hide!” Teela yelled in his face before turning and running toward the palace.

Adam sighed as he watched her run toward the palace. “Hey, Teela, truth is I’m He-Man. Been since I turned sixteen years old and I fight every time for you and my parents. Dang it …”

End of Part Two