Chapter Text
Sunday, August 19th - AM
Teela Armas had no idea what to expect.
It was probably the strangest morning of her life. Dating Adam had certainly changed her life. She'd known him forever. He was both her best friend and - she suspected - the great love of her life.
But since they'd started dating, they'd had - adventures? She might call them. Or he had, for sure. He'd befriended the exchange student back in middle school. Orko was cheerful, thoughtful, and full of tricks. He'd learned 'magic' on his own and wanted to become a famous illusionist, but at the time - most of his tricks had gone awry.
Not so much anymore. Nowadays, he moved smooth and precise and could fool everyone who hadn't known him forever. Eventually, he might be able to trick her and Adam.
But Orko was from a war-torn country. One ruled by his evil uncle. And at one point, Adam and Orko had ended up spending a week in a state department building until they could be sure there wasn't a kidnap and ransom squad out for Orko.
That was a fun month of summer between freshman and sophomore year. Adam's mother had been beside herself that entire week, calling Teela to find out if she'd heard from him. (She hadn't.)
Marlena's panic made more sense now. She wished it didn't. Because Adam's family was the victim of a crime that might end up as a plot for prime-time TV. Adam's twin sister had been kidnapped right out of a hospital. Gone missing for over a decade. And then been found because her neighbor had worried that the blonde next door was stuck in her house like some kind of prisoner.
Catra had been right.
Adora had needed rescuing. And because Catra's aunt - and guardian - was a sheriff, she'd been rescued. And hurt. Why else would she be in the hospital? Adam hadn't told her much. But he'd said a lot about what he felt.
He hadn't needed to tell her. Teela didn't need all the details - even if she knew, eventually, Adam would tell her. She had watched him bounce between deliriously happy and quietly shattered a dozen times in the last two days. She'd held him when he'd cried it out, her fingers in his hair.
She was still amazed he shared that part of himself with her.
Sure, Adam wore his heart on his sleeve. But showing what he really felt, raw and in the moment? There were many who got to see that. Her. Maybe Orko. Maybe his cat. (Adam had an Eternian forest cat. Bright green eyes. Giant cat. Just - as far as housecats went, Cringer was enormous. And afraid of absolutely everything that wasn't Adam. Or, occasionally, Teela.)
She had no idea what to expect, meeting Adam's long-lost, mysterious, and apparently traumatized twin sister.
Part of her imagined 'Adam, but a girl' - which probably wasn't right. She couldn't get the idea of her mind of a girl who was just as chaotic, just as goofy, just as compassionate, and gentle, just as driven, and loud and brash as her boyfriend.
She liked the idea of that person. There weren't enough people like him in the world.
Teela stared as a police cruiser pulled up to her house. Her father wasn't watching; he trusted Sheriff Netossa. Her record spoke for itself. (That, and he'd called to talk to her for almost an hour the night before, when Adam wanted to set this up.)
The passenger door opened and Adam burst out like a missile. Teela laughed and caught him in a hug.
He spun her around and then grabbed her hand, dragging her towards the police car. (Running towards a cop car. With joy. And pre-planning. Not something that had ever been on her bingo card, but why not?)
The Sherrif herself climbed out of her car and grinned as she walked around the front of it. She was in uniform, but she was a sturdily built, extremely fit black woman who moved like a cat. Her hair was stark silver, and she wore a pink choker under her uniform.
She leaned on the hood of her car. "Teela? I'm Netossa. Catra's aunt, and the officer in charge of Adora's situation. You ready for this?"
She almost laughed. People who knew her didn't ask that question. She was ready. She and Adam were both ready. They always planned. They always shared their plans and Adam had made triple-sure she was ready with what she needed to meet his sister.
Teela smiled brightly at her. "I'm ready. I have all the paperwork you asked for and I do understand the confidentiality part of things - and the chance that because I'm meeting her in the hospital the prosecution or the defense may want to call me to the stand."
She dared the prosecutor to put her on the stand. She was an athlete, yes - but her father had taught her to argue. How to think. How to use her words as both defense and weapons.
And her Dad's girlfriend, Zoar, was a museum curator and had taught her to debate early on. She'd argued that any girl who couldn't make her opinion known and defend it could get walked all over. Bright Moon was better about sexism than a lot of places, but 'better' didn't mean Teela wasn't prepared for it.
(Another reason she was sure she was going to marry Adam. Unless he changed who he was in a terrible way, her chances of finding someone who saw her as an equal the way he did would be stupidly hard.)
"Good. A couple of notes for this. I'm not on duty - officially - but when I go to visit Adora, I go in uniform. But whenever I wear this uniform, I'm on duty a little bit, so keep that in mind. Nothing's going to happen, but I have to tell you. Two, we are taking security seriously. We have no idea if she's still in danger from anyone. If a lockdown gets called - and I don't think one will - you two will be locked in the room with Adora. Not as part of her defense, but so that you will be safe, too. And third - my niece has an online appointment this morning, so she'll be showing up later."
"Uhh, okay?" Teela shrugged. Adam had already covered all of that. (Except the part about Netossa being sorta on duty, but Teela had already thought a uniformed officer was on duty no matter what, so - not a surprise.)
They got in the car and they were heading towards the hospital.
Adam. At a hospital. Voluntarily. Wonders were never ceasing.
As long as she'd known him, despite having a chronic health condition, didn't trust medical professionals and was terrified of hospitals. (That made a lot more sense now. He grew up knowing hospitals weren't safe. His twin sister had vanished from one.)
Adam sat in the back, letting her have shotgun. (Was there a shotgun in the car?) Netossa drove through the city with the ease of someone who knew every inch of it. She had complete control of her car in a way Teela had only seen in her father.
The special forces veteran. The man who kept up his skills. The man who taught SWAT teams. Who created shooter-response scenarios.
She hadn't planned to go to the hospital to meet Adora. She'd planned on waiting until she came home.
But Adam and invited her. He'd given her the big blue eyes of sadness (he was annoyingly good at that) and had arranged it with Netossa and the social worker. And the hospital. And his parents.
All before asking her.
Adam's parents were hip-deep in paperwork. Some they wouldn't be able to do until the courts opened again on Monday, but a lot of it was just getting ready to go to court. They were spending the morning working on it with an attorney recommended by the social worker.
On a Sunday morning. Apparently, that lawyer understood why there was a rush.
At some point next week, they would have to go before a judge and get their daughter back - legally. Adam had to be there for that and would miss some school. He would also be missing school to spend time with Adora.
The hospital psych team and the social worker had basically decided that schoolwork could be made up - but Adora's socialization and her need for people she trusted trumped almost everything else in her recovery.
Catra and Adam would be spending a lot of time with Adora. (Good. Adam was a good person to have as your person. He was going to be a good brother. He always had been.)
"My Dad is going to be meeting us there when he's done with groceries. He's going to be a witness for the Greyskulls when they get back to the hospital social worker's office. So you don't have to worry about getting us home later."
Or her. She wasn't sure if Adam was going to leave. He hadn't been allowed to spend a night up there yet, but it was just a matter of time.
"I'll catch a ride with my folks probably." Adam was bouncing his leg and tapping his fingers. Her boy was anxious. Not just about her father (though sometimes he wondered if Duncan was going to murder him for dating Teela), but about taking her to meet Adora.
"Dad can drive you with me. Your folks have already said they're busy most of the day." It was one of the reasons Teela was being allowed to meet Adora today. There wouldn't be a lot of people visiting her - because her parents wouldn't be able to see her until early evening.
"Yeah, but…he's been glaring at me since we officially started dating last year. I might have looked up what he did in the army! He can kill me like, ten different ways. With a paperclip!"
Teela laughed. She knew he was only like this when he was trying to hide other anxiety. "We have talked about this, goofball. Killing you would make me sad. As long as you keep making me happy enough to miss you if you died, you're perfectly safe! Besides, I have never seen my Dad use a paperclip. For anything."
As if Adam and Dad weren't annoyingly good friends. Like he hadn't coached Adam in at least two sports and wasn't there at most of his games, shows, and anything else. Just like he was hers.
Adam just hated disappointing people. Trying to be everything for everyone was probably his fatal flaw.
And he'd known her father as long as he'd known her. Which was forever. Randor and Duncan had grown up together.
She'd fallen for him long before she'd bothered to admit it to herself. He'd laughed off her antics and her poking him through middle school. They'd always been close, but had really bonded because of the fencing class one of the gym teachers had tried for a semester. (Only a semester. Middle schoolers and swords - even fake swords - didn't mix.) Then theater. Sports. Her obsession with gymnastics and tumbling. (In her defense, teaching him to do a cartwheel in spite of himself was still her greatest achievement and a skill he showed off every chance he got.)
Always competing. Always pushing each other.
But he'd never been mad when she won. He'd just cheered her on. Celebrated with her.
She'd been worried when he'd finally stopped being awkward around her and admitted he liked her. What if she'd been wrong about who he was? How many of her friends had ended up dating the 'perfect' guy, only for him to turn out to want to change everything about them? What if she lost the best friend she could ever have?
Of course, Adam was just - Adam. A dork. Occasionally a dummy. Sweet. Only - dating him meant more of him. Finding out how hard he worked, quietly and diligently, to keep his grades up. How adorably close to his parents he really was.
Netossa smiled at them both, shaking her head. She was raising a teenager. She and Adam couldn't be that bad, could they?
Adam was on his phone - texting his folks where he was, probably. Their group always made jokes about texting to make sure they weren't abducted when they weren't where someone expected them to be.
Which wasn't as funny a joke anymore.
The hospital loomed large ahead of them and she felt Adam tense in the backseat. She reached a hand back, stilling his bouncing leg.
Netossa let them out close to the door. "I'm going to park. Mara - the social worker - is waiting for you. She'll take you up when you've done the paperwork."
Teela looked down at her phone. Just a single message from her father. He wasn't known for being loquacious, but she couldn't have asked for a more loving or supportive Dad.
You can call me if you need to. I'll be in the hospital cafeteria in about fifteen minutes. I'll mee Randor and Marlena ten minutes after that.
Her Dad's code phrases. He meant what he said. Anything she needed, he'd be there. But when he said it that way. But it was the exact words. 'Call me if you need me' was normal. 'Call me if you need to' was his way of saying 'if anything goes wrong or anyone shows up who you don't trust, I will remove them.'
And he would.
The night Adora had been found, Randor had spent about three hours at their kitchen table after they'd left the hospital. Marlena had been sleeping on their couch and Adam had been with her.
After what Randor had told her father, his face had been grim. There had been a simmering anger in his eyes. He'd told her he would be driving her to school. She wouldn't be taking the bus. And he'd hugged her three times before she'd gone to bed that night.
Adam took her hand as they got out of the car, backpacks over their shoulders. (Never leave the house unprepared, and purses were annoying.) They walked into the hospital and Adam smiled at the tall woman waiting for them.
"Adam! And this must be Teela. Glad to have you here!" She shook Teela's hand.
"My best friend. My girlfriend. And pretty much my emotional support human right now. I'm kind of a mess still."
Mara laughed. "Emotional support human? That's a good one. The good news is Adora will be glad to see you, but she's had a bad morning."
Adam's face darkened, but he nodded. "Well, good thing we're here, then. And Netossa said Catra will be by later."
Mara breathed out a sigh of relief. "Good. Between you and Catra, she'll have a much better day. All right. This way you, two. Paperwork time."
Sunday, August 19th - AM
Mara went up to Adora's room ahead of them.
Adam pulled her aside by the elevator, looking around to make sure people weren't too nearby.
"Yeah. So." He grabbed both her hand. "The hard part. The part I haven't told you." He sucked in a deep breath and Teela threaded her fingers through his and put her other hand on the side of his face. For some reason, that always seemed to ground him. "Adora got hurt by the person who took her. Pretty bad. She's had it hard, Tee. Miserable. This…this isn't the first time she's been hurt."
The words came out around a hoarse sound - the struggle of trying to speak without crying.
"She…I don't know how to describe it. Skittish isn't right. Selectively mute. Anxious is right, but it's - more."
"She's traumatized." Teela whispered, brushing an errant lock of blond hair behind his ear. "And I know she may not like me or trust me. Not right off especially. I don't know. It's oaky. I'm here to meet her and be here for her, yeah. But I'm here for you, dummy. Because of you. Okay? Let me be your 'emotional support person' and lets go see your sister."
He grinned his stupid, bright, goofy smile and kissed her once. Then practically drug her to the elevator.
Mara met them in the hall, smiling. "Yeah, she's ready to see you, Adam. And she's okay with Teela coming in. She may not say much, but Catra left the white board and marker."
For the selective mutism. Right. That was actually a really good plan.
Teela felt like she'd been good. She'd held in a lot of questions, but she had to ask a few.
"White board and marker to talk to us, right? And is she really okay with me, or is she handling me being here for Adam? You said she had a rough morning. Look, I can catch a nap on a couch somewhere and let him see his sister if that's better for her."
Mara smiled at her. "She wants to meet you, Teela. Because she wants to know Adam's friends and Adam's world. I think one of the problems she's having right now is she's almost as isolated here as she was with her previous guardian. And the white board and market are almost a talisman at this point. Adora gets overwhelmed and sometimes - a lot of the time - that means nonverbal. The marker board helps. It's how she and Catra became friends."
"And Catra is how we got Adora back." Adam was behind her, his hand on her hip.
"The girl in the hallway, yeah. She figured it all out, right?"
"She did." Mara shook her head. "Girl has some serious instincts and is smart as can be. She alerted her aunt, who also happens to be the proper authorities."
Teela thought they were both leaving something important out. Something obvious: Catra had saved Adora's life. Given how much his sister meant to Adam, she had also saved her boyfriend a lifetime of pain and grief there was no outlet for.
She followed Adam in.
The girl sitting on the bed wasn't what she expected. She had Adam's cheekbones and his lips. Their hair was the same pale golden blonde, but hers was long, falling around her in waves. Obviously someone had been brushing it - and from the IVs in her arm, Teela doubted it was Adora.
She was thinner than Adam. A lot thinner. She lacked his muscle tone - and so much paler.
She really hadn't ever seen the outside. She'd really been held in that house for sixteen years. She'd really been kidnapped. Trapped. And had all the trauma and fear and pain that came with that.
Adora was sitting cross-legged on her bed in a hospital gown, scrub pants, and hospital socks, holding a cup of what smelled like hot chocolate, staring at it in obvious wonder.
She looked up as they walked in and Teela saw her eyes. They were a bright gray blue, just like Adam's. Even with the shadows in them, there was a wonder and excitement and awe there that took her breath away.
This was a girl who knew she was on the brink of having her life back. A life she'd never known and life that had been stolen from her.
"Adam! Catra was right. This is so good." Her expressive face twisted into a sour scowl. "She only ever had coffee or this really bitter tea in the house, but this is amazing." She pointed to a thermos. "M…Mom..left it this morning…"
Her voice dropped off at the word 'Mom' and her eyes dropped. Her shoulders fell and Teela felt her heart break for the girl in the bed.
Adam smiled and walked over to her. He bent over slowly, giving her plenty of space to pull away as he put her arm around her shoulders. But Adora just turned slightly, leaning into her brother, putting her forehead into the crook of his shoulder. She let out a long, slow breath as Adam's other arm wrapped around her.
And in that moment, Teela saw it. Someone had always been missing for Adam. Something he'd never named or talked about, but she had always known he was aware of it.
It wasn't missing anymore. And Adora, somehow, knew she was safe with him. There was an understanding between the two of them that transcended their lives apart and transcended the words they could say to each other.
And it was beautiful.
"You can call her Mom, Adora. She's not going to vanish if you do. Neither am I." His voice was a low whisper, fraught with emotion, but she could see the immediate effect it had on Adora. More of her tension faded away and Adam was holding her up. "We all love you. We're not letting you go. And Mom's secret recipe hot chocolate is the best. Even if she won't share the recipe with me until I have kids of my own."
Teela decided not to mention Adam's great love of coffee and how often he turned his nose up at the hot chocolate when they got breakfast in the cafeteria.
Then again…it might be because it wasn't his mother's hot chocolate.
Adam pulled back from Adora and Adora looked up and caught sight of Teela. Her eyes widened, and she set her cup down gently.
"Hi, Adora. I'm Teela. Your brother's girlfriend." The words were awkward, but what else was she supposed to say?
'I'm glad you escaped an evil bitch and a free to live your life. You're the luckiest girl on the planet, because you're a Greyskull and they will do anything for you?'
It was true. But it was probably too much for a first meeting.
Adora smiled at her and nodded, grabbing the white board and marker from the rolling table. She jotted something down, then turned it to face her.
|| He told me about you! He's right. You're very pretty. It's nice to mee you.
Teela grinned at Adam. "You told her I'm very pretty, but did you tell her I can still out sprint you?"
Adam snorted. "Why would I lie to my own sister? Don't listen to her! I'm still faster than she is. Just check our track times!"
Teela rolled her eyes. "Yes, for anything longer than a few hundred meters. Shorter than that, and I still smoke you, pretty boy."
Adora looked over at Adam, who, still grinning, waved a hand airily. "Piffle. Details! Unimportant details! What's important is I still have the fastest mile in our entire district."
Adora scribbled on her board again.
|| Faster than Catra?
Adam shrugged, genuine. "I have no idea. I know she's boss in archery class, but I haven't ever raced her. Think she'd go for it?"
They sat and chatted quietly, and Adora eventually even invited Teela to sit next to Adam on her bed. Three people on a hospital bed was a weird fit, but her sitting with her back against Adam's worked out well. Adora went between using the white board and speaking, but Teela followed Adam's lead and never mentioned it.
They got cups from the nurses and they each got a bit of Adora's hot chocolate. As per usual, she tasted cinnamon and something else in it - but they were both right. It was amazing. And brought back memories of holidays at Adam's and cold nights when the power had gone out curled up in front of the fire.
Adora was so much like him, and they'd never met. He was so much like her, and he'd never had the chance to know her. They giggled at the same dorky jokes. They had some of the same mannerisms. They had the same goofy smiles.
Watching Adam with her was another revelation.
When she flinched at a sudden loud noise, he put his hand on her. When the nurse came in to get her vitals, he didn't move. The nurse had to work around him, and he watched her carefully.
But Adora? Adora froze and didn't respond to the nurse hardly at all. She kept her eyes locked on Adam and his hand on her arm. He was anchoring her, keeping her panic from taking over.
The nurse shook her head at the two of them - and that annoyed Teela. She shot the nurse a venomous look. Didn't she know what was going on? Didn't get it? Adora was terrified. She was in the same hospital she'd been kidnapped from!
…no wonder Adam and Catra were being given permission to skip school and stay with Adora.
When the resident came by to check the dressings on her back, Adam helped hold Adora steady as the doctor peeled bandages off and checked the sutures.
"I can leave if you want…" She made to move towards the door.
Adora startled her, holding up the white board, her eyes catching Teela's.
|| No! Stay. Please.
Then she looked from Teela over to Adam and nodded once solemnly. Much more solemnly and with much more gravity than Teela thought 'letting your brother's girlfriend stay in the room' deserved.
Then again, Adora hadn't - from what she understood - ever had people before recently. The idea of asking her brother's person to leave probably felt awful for her.
So much like Adam. She needed her people around her; Adam was her person. Teela was Adam's person, and she seemed to somehow understand that.
So she stayed. The doctor frowned at her, but Teela met his eyes calmly. Adora had said she could be there.
The doctor stepped around, taking off his gloves. He spoke to Adam and Adora, but his eyes were on Adora.
"Looking good. Not nearly as bad as we thought. We might need to re-suture, though, and you'll need wound care for a bit, even after you're released. I'll talk to your parents about it, okay?"
Adora barely nodded.
Adam nodded more firmly. "Yeah, I'll let them know. Hey. Doc. If you have to re-suture…make sure one of us is here, okay? Or Catra."
Teela remembered a much smaller Adam telling a playground bully not to pick on someone.
"That's just the rules," he would say with an authority out of place in such a small kid. But he'd meant it. He'd gone home in trouble the next week for fighting the same bully.
Adam had won. The bully had never bothered anyone again - at least, not that year.
She heard the silent 'that's just the rules' behind Adam's comment to the doctor. She hoped the doctor understood.
"Yeah, not a problem. There's not a chance I'd do it if your folks weren't here, anyway, and the social worker has read us all in on the protocols. I promise. Your sister is going to be just fine and we're going to do everything we can, absolutely everything, to make sure when she leaves here, she's feeling a lot better than she is now."
Teela smiled at that doctor. He was calm. He didn't argue or even look like he might.
The wound care nurse came in with his kit and he was cheerful. "Howdy, Adora! I know you hate this. But here we go. And you've got to be Adam."
"I'm Teela." Teela came closer to the bed, standing so close to Adam she was almost leaning on him, and there was a flash of happiness in Adora's eyes.
As the nurse worked, it struck Teela like a bolt of lightning. Adora had been hurt badly enough that she needed acute wound care.
Who had done that to her? She was like her Adam. She was - she wasn't - she didn't deserve -
At least whoever did it was in jail. They had to be. The Sheriff was involved and her father wasn't in jail for murder.
Sunday August 19th - Noon
When Catra arrived, Teela understood.
Adora was exactly like Adam.
Adora was Adam's sister. They had the same heart. They had the same relationship with the universe, where they went through strange ordeals only to end up smiling at the end.
The magicat girl practically slid into the room, throwing her backpack in a corner like she lived there.
"Hey Adora." Catra was nearly at the bed by the time she noticed anyone else. "Hey, Adam. And…Teela, right?" She offered an off-hand wave as she climbed up on the bed, completely sanguine with three other people already being on it.
Adora's smile when she saw Catra was nearly transcendent. Her eyes were alight and her face was just as lit up. Catra was up next to Adora instead of in front of her, somehow squeezing into the space.
Adora was leaning against her and frantically writing on her board.
Catra rolled her eyes and looked over at Adam. "Nope. Not gonna race you. If I won, do you know how many coaches would be pulling my tail to get me into their sport? Uh uh." She shrugged. "Besides, being a magicat in school sports is uh…a little difficult."
Adam laughed. "We can race down my street sometime. I promise not to tell my coaches." He sobered a bit, and Teela watched his eyes get narrow and his jaw clenched. "And it shouldn't be. Sports should be for everyone. If you ever did want to join a team….well, no one at our school would give you a problem."
Teela didn't roll her eyes. Adam was full of bravado, but sometimes it was more of a cringe than he realized. This time, it wasn't. This time, it was Adam being Adam and wanting everyone to be treated well.
Catra was leaning back on Adora's pillows, staring at the ceiling. She shrugged again. "I appreciate that. I know you're serious and all. But sports aren't my thing. But yeah, we can race your street someday."
"Good." Teela pressed her cheek to Adam's. "He's adorable, but we have to keep his ego in check or he'll forget he's mortal."
"Hey!" Adam put an arm around her instead of poking her. Something about being around Adora made him affectionate and a little clingy. (Could she replicate this effect? Bottle it and sell it somehow?) "I have your Dad to remind me of my mortality!"
Adora was scribbling on her board again, showing it to Catra. Who sighed. "Yes. I know. Do my homework. It's in my backpack. I just figured I'd braid your hair first and then work on the Say Something project."
There was a tremble in her voice. Adora noticed it, but seemed unsure what to do with it.
Not that Teela blamed her. That project was getting intensely personal for some students. She had very guiltily been happy when she'd avoided anything too personal for her group, but her group was talking about standards in the music industry. It was important, two members of her group were musicians, but it was also coming out very dry and very staid. There wasn't much being said, and Teela hadn't been able to convince any of them to try to say something of importance.
She knew Adam's group was doing better, addressing the speciest issues that made it harder for people like Catra. But Adam had the opposite problem. His group was saying a lot, with a lot of emotion, but with no clear message.
And they were talking about something that applied to none of them.
"I love Glimmer's mom, I do." Catra sat up, a brush in her hand as Adora shifted to sit in front of her. "But she split the three of us - me, Bow, and Glimmer up - for this one. I get why. It's not a challenge for the three of us to come with something to say. She wants us to learn to work with others, blah, blah, blah. But I hate being the token, the one they're talking about, the person they want to speak, the person they want to speak about."
Adora was scribbling on her board again, and lifted it up to show Catra. The magicat didn't pause in brushing out Adora's hair as she looked at it.
"I wish. We're not even in the same period - um, time slot for class."
Adora wiped the board, looking a little crestfallen. Catra leaned over and rested her chin on Adora's shoulder. "It was a good idea. And working with your brother and Teela would be awesome. But there's only three of us and the project is for four."
Adam slumped. "And it's Sunday. We could ask tomorrow, but finding a time we could all discuss the idea - it's not like we could just call the teacher and ask her."
"I mean, I could." Catra didn't look up from Adora's hair. "She might even say yes, but I would have to explain a lot of this, and I don't know…"
"Or. I could call." Mara poked her head into the room. "Teachers tend to be more receptive when someone with outside authority and information brings things up. But yes, we would have to tell her some of what's going on and we would need permission from her parents for that."
Now, Teela knew she liked Mara. The social worker was thinking about their parents. Legally, they didn't have any rights yet, but Mara was treating them like they did. She knew there was a DNA test being done, but her and Adam both had the same blood type and the same iron deficiency.
But working on the project with Catra and Adam would make it a lot better.
"Mental health." She hadn't realized she's spoken until she had. But Catra perked up - at least, her ears did. Adam leaned forward.
"Adam and I have both been to therapy. Neither of us hide that. But there's still a lot of stigma around it. A lot of people who don't think about mental health the way they should. That's all." Teela shrugged.
Catra was starting to braid Adora's hair. "I have a therapist. Back in Halfmoon. We do video visits."
Teela could tell there was a story there. Just like there was for her and Adam.
"I bet the three of us could come up with something to say about that." Adam rolled his eyes. "I don't think there's a single of us here - Adora included - that doesn't have strong opinions about things. Feels like most of the people doing the project are either trying to find things someone else will have strong opinions on or using things they know are important, but not something they have a lot to say about. They can take a position and defend it, sure, but there's nothing about wanting to speak up."
"Yeah, that's got to be part of the project." Catra's fingers moved slowly, but steadily, and Adora looked like a content cat, her eyes half closed as Catra worked. It was nice to see her calm.
There wasn't a lot of pressure on her to speak or be anything other than her.
Mara was smirking as she set up her laptop on a rolling table from the lone chair in the corner of the room. "And you lot have resources for research other topics might not get you. Social work and mental health are closely connected. There are your own therapists, and there's plenty of papers and real data I can give you on why it's important. Why it matters."
"So what if we asked her. Mrs. Moon, I mean." Teela wasn't sure the teacher would say yes, but she was also certain if she did they'd build a great presentation and paper. "Adam and Catra working together makes sense since they're here with Adora a lot. And bringing me in makes sense since my family is helping Adam's right now."
"You are?" Adora leaned forward a bit, but not enough to pull her hair out of Catra's nimble fingers.
"Well, yeah." Teela paused. Adora didn't know. She didn't how long they'd known each other. How much their families were integrated. "Adam was my first friend. Our families are friends. His dad and my parents hang out a lot, Dad's longtime girlfriend, too. Zoar runs a museum. Someday, she and Dad will get around to moving in together, I swear. But yeah. We support each other. Dad's their witness for the paperwork they need for you, Adora. And he'll be at court when the judge gives them custody next week."
"Oh." Adora was obviously processing. "Well…thank you for being Adam's person. Did you know? Catra is my first friend. Ever. She's amazing and even when I tell her, she makes = "
Catra made a small mewling sound and hid her face behind Adora's hair. "Adooora…"
Adora giggled. " - that sound!"
"This whole thing. Me moving in with my…my…parents - " Adora forced the word out, eyes wide, as if she had said something she shouldn't have, "it's really complicated, isn't it?"
Mara nodded. "Yeah. Right now, technically, you are what's called a ward of the state. You are under care of the hospital, and I am your temporary guardian ad litem, though someone else will be appointed to that spot on Monday. That person is going to be responsible for protecting your rights and safety and advocating for what's best for you. It's also where our system breaks down some and is less than perfect. You may never meet your guardian ad litem - but I've met you, so I can tell the guardian ad litem what you've told me about what you want. The doctors will talk to you and then talk to that person - including the psychiatric doctor who talked to you yesterday afternoon. I'll inspect the Greyskull's home, talk to their friends, their co-workers, and to Adam about them and then I write a recommendation - either you go home with them or you go into foster care with a new social worker assigned to you."
Adora shrank back at the last and Catra's arms were around her. "I've had that explained a couple of times now. I think it just sank in." Adora shook her head. "It's hard to know what I want, but I want to go - with Adam. Or with Catra."
"Hey, ask me whatever, whenever. Mom and Dad are great. I have a pretty amazing life. Lots of great people."
"I have noticed." Mara was still smiling. "My recommendation is already written, Adora. I just have to do the inspection and do my checklist. Then I'll give it to the judge and the guardian ad litem and both of them will take my recommendation that you go back to your birth family."
She paused. She looked between them all. "Since I have permission from you parents, Adam, and I know how little is being held back from you, Catra, I'll tell you the other part. There is a chance that Ms. Weaver might have her attorney file a competing petition that you be remanded to state care until her case is adjudicated and her adoption either verified or found fraudulent. But we have some very strong evidence against that, including all the evidence that Adora was kidnapped."
Adam was holding one of Adora's hands. Catra hadn't let go of her. Teela was not entirely certain her father would stand by and let them 'remand' Adora anywhere.
Mara grinned. "It's going to be fine. And I'm going to call your teacher tomorrow and get her to allow the alternative project based on the circumstances. And Adora? There is no way, legal or illegal, that you are going back to your previous guardian. It simply cannot happen."
Adora relaxed a bit, but still looked worried. "I don't mean to be…complicated. I'm sorry."
"Nothing for you to be sorry for."
Teela blinked at Adam and Catra as they spoke in stereo. How many times had they said that over the past couple of days?
"They're right. Not your fault. Not yours to be sorry for." Teela looked right at Adora. "None of this is your fault. Or Catra's fault. In fact, everyone in this room is free of fault for this. This is the fault of the person who took you. The people who let her take you. And the people who helped her - if anyone."
Teela slowly reached out and put her hand over Adora's other hand, and to her shock, Adora clasped her hand.
"You aren't complicated. The situation is. And it is because someone broke the rules. They broke rule so badly that our system isn't good at handling it - because…why would it be? The idea of hurting kids, stealing kids - it's such a big and scary idea, right? Well…how do we fix it when we get those kids back? It's hard, right? We feel like we already failed once, as a society, when things didn't work and you got taken and hurt. Now…putting things right, that's something we don't want to mess up. We want to get it right this time. So…we make it complicated, so that nothing gets missed, nothing gets messed up. The guardian ad litem who isn't clouded by an emotional connection to you, who can see the things the people closer to you can't. The social worker and doctors who know you and take care of you. So…you're not complicated. But fixing what happened to you is."
Adam was smiling at her. That smile. The one that said she'd said or done something that made him fall in love with her again. She loved that smile. She loved how often she got to see it.
She loved that she could still make him smile that way.
But it was Adora's face that really tugged at her heart this time. She was looking up at Teela as if she had just explained a great secret of the universe to her.
"Thank you. And you should. All of you should work together on your project. I think all of you saying something together would be amazing."