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Nothing brought Adora more peace than watching Catra and Finn sleeping. The tiny kitten curled into their mother’s chest while Catra protectively wrapped her body around them was a truly precious sight.
The blonde watched from the doorway of their bedroom, arms crossed as she slumped tiredly against the door frame, golden light barely shining in through the windows. She would give anything to stay, at least for a few more hours, but duty called. She-Ra was needed and Adora figured Catra could handle Finn for a few hours by herself.
It was the first time Adora would be parting from Catra for longer than an hour in months. She had basically hung up the sword when Finn came into the world, scared and unwilling to leave her wife and child. Things had been peaceful for years, there was really no need for her Princess alter ego, but a small town was dealing with a flooding problem and she needed to fix whatever was happening before anyone got hurt.
They would be fine for a few hours and probably would just be waking up by the time she got back.
_____
She-Ra looked down at the river, wondering why it was surging over the banks. Someone or something had to have dammed a portion of it up to cause it to spill over into the town.
“Did someone say Swiftwind?” Her trusted steed announced, coming up on her left side.
“No, but I could use your help, Swifty. Is there any way you could see if there’s a blockade?”
“On it!” He chortled, flapping his mighty wings and taking off into the sky. The trees were thick around the river and she prayed he could see. She had already spent too much time out here.
“Hey, you okay?” Bow asked, scratching at the scruff on his chin.
“I’m fine, Bow. I just really want to get home,” Adora sighed, readjusting her sword in her hand.
“I know you’re nervous about being away from Catra and Finn, but we’re all here for you. Glimmer is at the castle today. She’ll help if anything goes wrong, but it won’t. Catra’s a great mom.”
“Thanks, Bow. I know she is… I just miss them,” Adora replied.
Bow patted her back with a wide smile, “You’ll be home before you know it!”
“She-Ra!” Swiftwind called, landing down next to the friends. “The woods are too thick to see anything, we’ll have to travel down river ourselves.”
Adora half growled, half sighed in frustration, causing She-Ra to flicker as she struggled to control her emotions. “This was supposed to be quick.”
“It will be,” Bow urged. “I don’t like staying far away from Glimmer either right now, but we can do this! We’re the best friend squad and nothing gets in our way!”
Adora cracked a little smile, nodding along. “You’re right, Bow! Now come on!”
______
Catra yawned and stretched, nuzzling into her baby more. They smelled so sweet, a little bit similar to Adora’s own scent. “Hi, Finn,” she mumbled out sleepily, reaching over for her wife. “Hey, Adora.”
Her hand met nothing but bedsheets and she sat up slowly, as not to disturb her miraculously still snoozing child. Her ear flicked as she frowned and glanced around the room, no blonde woman in sight.
“Adora?” She called out softly, feeling panic flare in her chest. Her wife just didn’t leave her alone without telling her where she was going. Catra frowned deeply, wanting to go search for her, but also wanting to stay with Finn. The kitten whimpered in their sleep, tuffs of blonde hair sticking up messily.
Catra stroked their nose soothingly, instantly feeling how warm their forehead was. “Do you have a fever?” Catra wondered aloud, panic against striking her chest. Finn was only 3 months old and a fever at this age could be dangerous.
She needed Adora and she needed her now.
Catra scooped up baby Finn, making them whimper and cry out at the disturbance. The mother rushed out of their room, scouring the Bright Moon castle hallways for the blonde. Finn was getting more and more fussy as their fever seemed to start taking conscious affect.
“Adora!” Catra called out.
“Whoa, Catra,” Glimmer said, teleporting in front of her. “What’s wrong?”
“Where’s Adora?” Catra blubbered.
“Her and Bow went out to help a flooding town, they’ll be back soon,” Queen Glimmer replied.
Catra felt her heart relax a bit at finally knowing where her wife was, but she was still upset Adora didn’t consult her in it first. That woman was always rushing head first into stuff, giving Catra heart attacks left and right. It wasn’t that Adora was reckless or didn’t care, she did immensely, about everything and everyone. She was so eager to help and was always twenty steps ahead that she forgot to commit to the first nineteen. It was why Catra loved her, but at a time like this it aided more to her stress, especially as a new mom.
Catra couldn’t imagine the stress that Adora was under, being the world’s protector and a new mom? She couldn’t hold anger towards the blonde knowing she carried that on her shoulders, but Finn was sick and Adora could heal them and Adora wasn’t here.
Catra sniffled a bit, looking down at her baby who became more fussy in her arms. Glimmer watched her with sad eyes and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Can I help you?”
“Finn’s s-sick,” the new mom whimpered, tears slipping down her cheeks. “They need Adora, but she isn’t here.”
“We can call her,” Glimmer replied. “Bow has his tracker pad!”
“No,” Catra squeaked. “If Adora is distracted she won’t be able to finish helping those people. It’ll be more dangerous if we tell her.”
“We can teleport!” Glimmer offered again.
“Sparkles, no offense, but you’re tired enough as it is,” Catra replied with a crack of a smile as she motioned to the Queen’s small baby bump.
Glimmer crossed her arms with a huff, “I’m pregnant, Catra, not powerless. It wouldn’t be hard for me to-”
Finn wailed, cutting the Queen off and Catra gasped, quickly rocking the small child to soothe them. Their little nose twitched as snot ran from it. “You’re okay,” Catra squeaked, tears brimming in her eyes again.
Glimmer touched their forehead lightly with the back of her hand and frowned deeply. “They have a fever.”
“You think I don’t know that, Sparkles?” Catra snapped, stress evident on her face.
“I never said that, Catra. I’m trying to help you, let me help!”
“Can you heal?” Catra asked.
“Well, no-”
“Then you can’t help.” The mother turned from her heels, but Glimmer teleported in front of her stopping her dead in her tracks.
“I can’t heal, but I can help. Let me just help you until Adora gets back.”
Catra looked down at her crying child and then back up at Glimmer’s pleading eyes. “Fine.”
_____
Adora kicked a rock, back to her normal self. Swiftwind trotted ahead of her, humming a tune to himself while Bow continued to look at his tracker pad. He had recently updated it again and it was struggling to find any source of the blockage that was flooding the river.
He grunted in frustration, “The trees are too thick to get a proper signal.”
“What time is it?” Adora sighed. “I really gotta get back to Finn and Catra. It’s been hours.”
Bow nodded in understanding. “I hope Glimmer is alright. She was pretty sick yesterday.”
Adora frowned at Bow’s words, “Me too.” They walked in anxious parent silence for a bit. “Isn’t it weird? Being out here when there’s so much back home?”
“Huh?” Bow asked, looking up from his tracker pad.
“We’re out here when our wives are back at home with our children. It’s just a weird thought, I guess,” Adora shrugged.
“I think it’s nice,” Bow smiled.
“That too,” Adora said, a smile of her own growing on her face.
“Look!” Swiftwind announced, motioning far ahead of the river. A giant dam was built, just as Adora had predicted. She-Ra could easily smash through it and get the river to flow properly again.
“For the honor of Greyskull!” Adora shouted, quickly and dazzlingly taking the form of She-Ra.
The glowing woman rushed forward, eager to get it over with and return home to her wife and baby when a giant purple blast shot her back. She grunted as she sat up, smoke lifting from her chest.
“Adora!” Bow shouted.
“Oh man,” She-Ra pouted, wishing she could have an easy assignment just once.
_____
“Okay, we should dab their forehead with a cool cloth. I can brew some jasmin tea to help with the fever!” Glimmer said, watching Catra change a crying Finn’s diaper.
“Tea? They’re three months old!” Catra scoffed.
“A few drops on their tongue might help them be less fussy,” Glimmer snapped back. “I don’t know a spell for this.”
“Could ya learn one?” Catra muttered, wrapping Finn in their fresh diaper.
“No,” the Queen replied. “It’s not very practical to do spells on infants either.”
The new mom scooped her baby into her arms, holding them close and rubbing their back in an effort to soothe their ongoing cries. “Fine, fine, Sparkles! Brew the damn tea.” Glimmer smiled victoriously, quickly teleporting away. Catra looked down at her baby, kissing the little blonde hair growing out from their head. “You’re okay, Mommy’s got you, Finn. You’re okay.”
_____
She-Ra grunted as she got up, her sword blocking the next blast as she rolled out of the way of another one.
Etheria was… peaceful. There hadn’t been major, gun blasting threats in years.
The blonde princess struggled to get a good look at their attackers as she rolled out of the way of another blast before shooting a retaliation beam from her sword and ducking into the woods where Bow and Swiftwind took cover.
“What’s going on?” Adora asked.
“Don’t know!” Bow squeaked. “I haven’t gotten word of any threats in the area!”
“They have guns,” Adora cried out.
“Clearly,” Bow huffed back.
“We haven’t seen that kind of tech since the Horde,” Swiftwind pondered.
The blonde gasped, “You don’t think?”
A laser shot next to them burning the side of a tree behind them. Bow yelped, ducking a bit behind She-Ra’s massive bicep before scowling and popping back out, bow ready in hand.
“We didn’t completely destroy the Horde those years ago, we just convinced them that it didn’t need to end that way. Maybe there’s some people who still follow it,” Bow replied, a worried look on his face.
“Oh man,” Adora replied.
“She-Ra! Come out to play!” A voice bellowed through the trees.
Adora recognized that voice.
She clenched her jaw and rolled her eyes. “It’s Grizzlor!”
“Who?” Bow squeaked.
“Some jerk commander from the Horde! Shadow Weaver always kept us away from him. He’s not that smart, but he is strong!” The blonde replied.
“You’re stronger!” Swiftwind encouraged.
“Why would he be blocking up the river?” The archer asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Why don’t we go ask him?” She-Ra smirked, holding her sword up near her face before rushing forward, Bow and Swiftwind closely behind.
_____
“Here’s the tea!” Glimmer announced, teleporting into the room with a huff. She sat down on the edge of the bed catching her breath.
Catra dabbed a cool cloth on Finn’s head, it was doing wonders to break up the effects of the fever and they were no longer screaming at the top of their lungs. “Thanks, Sparkles, and take it easy. Sheesh.”
Glimmer rolled her eyes, standing up from her position on the bed to place the tea on the nightstand. “How are they?”
“Better, for now,” Catra sighed. “I wish Adora was here.”
“You’re doing great,” Glimmer smiled. “I know it’s hard being away for so long right now, especially with Finn being sick, but it’s all going to work out.”
Catra sighed again, glancing at the Queen and then at the hot cup of tea before returning back to her baby. “I know we can’t be… together all the time. I know she has duties, or whatever, but I just… hate her being gone.”
The Queen looked at her with soft eyes; despite being friends for many years, Catra still struggled to open up and it was an uplifting thing to witness. “I know you do. You’re strong, Catra, stronger than you think, and Adora hates being away from you as much as you hate being away from her.”
The feline smiled a bit at that. “Thanks Glimmer.”
“Of course,” she replied. “Now let’s cool off some of the tea so we can give Finn a few drops.”
_____
“Grizzlor!” She-Ra called, stepping out into the open banks of the river.
The towering bear like being moved from his position behind some building supplies with a wild grin. “Finally, I have been trying to get you out of that castle for years.”
“Take down the dam or else,” She-Ra demanded, pointing her sword.
He barked out deep, booming laughter. “Why would I do that?”
“Uh, cause I’m asking?” She-Ra replied.
Grizzlor blinked slowly, mulling over her words as he scratched his face. Bow and Swiftwind looked at each other before back at their foe. “I mean you did ask pretty nicely, wait, wait, no! Hey, no! I’m mad at you,” Grizzlor growled.
“Mad? For what?” She-Ra sighed.
“You destroyed the Horde!” He pointed, stomping his foot.
“I didn’t destroy it,” the princess argued. “It was disbanded.”
“I don’t know what that means! All I know is I’m not fighting princesses anymore and that’s not right,” the ex-Horde Commander cried out.
“Princesses aren’t the enemy!”
“You’re a princess?”
She-Ra shrugged, “Well, yeah! I’m… yeah, I guess so.”
“And you’re an enemy!” Grizzlor said.
“I mean… technically… but-” A blast shot from his silver crossbow into her chest again and she flew back, sliding through the grass and dirt. She stood up with a huff, raising her mighty sword. “This ends right now.”
_____
Catra’s shoulder slumped tiredly, her squawking baby slowly quieting down as the drops of tea worked their magic to make them feel better.
“It’s working,” Glimmer smiled, seemingly equally as exhausted by the day's ordeal.
“Thank you,” Catra mumbled, glancing over at her friend.
Glimmer’s eyes lit up, “Oh, you’re welcome.”
“Now if only there was a tea to bring Adora home.”
The Queen chuckled, “They’ll be home soon… I know it.”
“Okay, Sparkles, I believe you.”
_____
She-Ra sliced down, Grizzlor yelping and rolling out of the way of her sword. She was very over this. She just wanted to go home, cuddle up with her wife and baby, relax, something she could only do with Catra around.
Grizzlor shot another plast at her and she blocked with her sword, swiping it down to release a rainbow wave of power. It knocked into Grizzlor’s chest, blowing him backwards through the dirt.
Bow and Swiftwind worked on destroying the dam. The archer shot explosive arrows, the weapons sticking to the sides of the metal monstrosity while Swiftwind flew up, flapping his mighty wings to control the blasts.
She-Ra picked up Grizzlor by his collar, raising him in the air despite his big size. He whimpered, his eyebrows curving worryingly, “Oh, you’re strong.”
The princess rolled her eyes, “Yes, I’m strong.”
“Well, didn’t really expect that.”
“I saved the universe twice and you didn’t expect that?”
“Twice?” He squeaked. Grizzlor flinched as the arrows went off, blowing giant holes in the dam. Water began to leak through, pushing against the weak structure before tumbling it into the river and taking the pieces down stream as the water began to rush through.
“We’re polluting!” Bow cried, his voice cracking as he pointed to the pieces floating down the river. “Oooohhhhh, Perfuma is going to be so mad!”
“Uh, that was my plan all along,” he smirked, his fangs sparkling in the sunlight. “Pollution! Evil! Ha!”
“Bow, we’re gonna need some of you sticky arrows for this guy,” She-Ra huffed.
“Gotcha,” Bow replied.
“Oh, no,” Grizzlor pouted. “That will never get out of my fur.”
_____
Glimmer looked out the window of Adora and Catra’s room with a heavy sigh. “It’s nearly sundown.”
Catra walked up next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’m worried too.”
“I was trying to be positive this whole day, but we should have been looking for them. I’m so sorry,” Glimmer sniffed, tears pricking in her eyes. “What if they’re hurt, or trapped, or-”
“Sparkles, don’t,” Catra said. “You didn’t know-”
“I should’ve known as Queen. It’s my job to protect everyone and I didn’t do that today.”
“You helped me with Finn. I needed help and you helped… It means a lot,” Catra said slowly. “Now they’re okay.”
“What was wrong with them?” A worried voice cracked behind them.
The girls turned from the window to find Adora looking at them wide eyed. “Adora!” Catra cried out, instantly lunging into her arms, she snuggled into her neck as Adora held her tightly.
Glimmer soon joined in on the hug, “You’re okay! Where’s Bow?”
“Taking our prisoner to the spare room,” Adora mumbled. Glimmer kissed her cheek before teleporting from them and leaving the wives alone.
“I was so worried about you, Dummy,” Catra sniffed.
Adora cupped her cheek gently, “I’m right here, Catra. I’m sorry I worried you… this mission was more complicated.”
Catra flicked her ear, “What does that mean?”
“Grizzlor was the one who built the dam trying to get me out of the castle. He was mad I destroyed that Horde.”
“What an idiot,” Catra hissed. “I’ll claw his eyes out!”
Adora laughed, kissing her forehead. “You guys were talking about Finn… Are they okay?”
Catra sighed, “Yeah, they’re fine. They just had a… a fever.”
The blonde’s heart seemed to visibly break, “I-I wasn’t here to heal them.”
“Adora,” Catra said softly. “You can’t be here all the time… we both know that. Glimmer and I managed, they’re sleeping and the fever is practically gone.”
“I wasn’t here for them,” Adora murmured.
“You’re here now,” Catra said. “Babies get sick… not everyone has magical healing mommies.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” the blonde apologize again.
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not.”
Catra leaned forward, pressing a deep kiss to her wife’s lips. “It is.”
Finn cried out from their bed and Adora instantly rushed into the room, taking the squirming infant into her arms. “Oh, Finn,” she sniffed, looking down at the snotty child. She placed two fingers on their forehead, closing her eyes to concentrate. Catra watched as her wife began to glow gold, healing their baby of their sickness. Finn’s loud sick cries soon turned into happy gurgles as they began to grasp onto Adora’s fingers and the blonde smiled. “There, all better.”
Catra kissed her cheek. “I’m glad you’re home.”
“I’m glad to be home… I can’t promise I won’t leave again, but-”
“Adora, we understand. You’re She-Ra, Princess of Power,” Catra smirked. “Or whatever,” Adora laughed softly, rocking their suddenly high energy baby. “People need you.”
“You guys need me.”
“Calling me helpless, now?” Catra asked, her voice cracking slightly.
Adora’s eyes instantly widened, “No, God no! I would- No! Never! You’re not helpless… You’re more than capable… I wasn’t saying-”
Catra laughed loudly, “You’re such a dummy.”
“Only for you,” Adora smiled and Catra returned her smile, both of their eyes falling down to their child.
Their day may have been hectic, but they ended it just as they always did. Together.