Enjoy :)

"It took some cross wiring and changing the coding, but I think I've got it."

Looking up at the giant machine, everyone in the room felt a little less confident and more concerned. It wasn't that they didn't trust Entrapta. Entrapta herself was fine, but it was clear from Catra's state that Entrapta's inventions were less trustworthy.

"Are you sure this will work now?" Bow asked. "This won't turn her into, like, an embryo, or something? She'll still be able to breathe on her own and be a person?"

Entrapta rolled her eyes.

"Yes. I'm like 87.8 percent sure it won't do that."

Well that wasn't very reassuring.

"I don't know if I like those numbers." Glimmer spoke up, just as hesitant as everyone else.

Was this a good idea? Was Catra going to be safe? At the moment, Catra was curled up in George's arms, sounds asleep. Maybe it was the fact that Catra was a baby and much more vulnerable than anyone else in the room. Maybe it was the fact that Catra was extremely cute and their friend, which triggered their need to protect her, but everyone wanted to make sure that the machine was safe for Catra. If trying to get Catra back to normal could end up harming her instead, they weren't willing to just blindly put Catra in that thing.

"Entrapta." Lance spoke up, getting her attention. The man had a serious expression, the mood becoming pressing. "I know you're very intelligent and your inventions have helped us greatly during the war. I know you care for Catra and would never want to hurt her. So, I just want you to understand that this is Catra. She's a person and we need to keep her safety a top priority while trying to get her back to her normal age. I can't speak for everyone, but I don't feel comfortable putting Catra anywhere near that thing unless you're absolutely sure that it won't hurt her. Yes, I want her back to normal, but I refuse to risk her safety."

Adora, Bow, and Glimmer shared a look. Lance was definitely acting like a dad. It was sweet. Probably the first time any male adult showed any genuine protectiveness over Catra. They only hoped Catra would be able to reciprocate it when she gets back to normal. It would be good for her.

Entrapta gave a nod, understanding just how serious Lance was taking this.

"You can count on me. I like Catra. She's a good friend. I'll be sure to be careful when handling her situation. I promise."

Lance gave a relieved soft sigh. Turning towards George, he motioned for the other man to approach them. George walked up to the two. He handed a sleeping Catra, along with Catra's blanket, over to her. The couple joined the others, everyone standing around the machine to observe, fingers crossed.

Feeling the change in temperature, Catra woke up from her sleep, crying in displeasure. Entrapta laid Catra on her back, in the center of the platform. Catra wasn't happy at all. She cried to be picked up. The glass barrier came down. Entrapta, hurried over to the control console of the machine and pressed a button. A beam of light zapped Catra, leaving a faint aura around her body.

The crying continued. Nothing had changed. Entrapta's brows furrowed in confusion. She pressed the button again. Catra stayed a baby.

"Huh. That's strange. Looks like I'll have to recheck the wiring."

The machine was shut down, the glass barrier lifted. Catra's cries of distress filled the quiet. Lance and George rushed to get her. Lifting her up off the metal platform, Lance shushed her.

"I know, honey. It's okay. We're here. Papa's here, little one."

Catra continued to cry, her head resting on his shoulder. Her claws gripped his tunic, attempting to cling to him. With Catra safe in his arms, the men went back to the group. Adora ran a hand over Catra's back, saddened by Catra's distress.

"Catra. It's alright, sweet girl. We're here now, mi amor. Yo estoy aqui. I'm here."

Catra cries turned to whimpers. She turned her face towards Adora. She then reached out her arms to her, wanting Adora to take her. Lance happily handed her over, glad that Catra was calming down. Adora rocked Catra side to side, talking quietly to her. However, she was talking in another language. That made everyone stop and stare. Bow and Glimmer looked at each other, mouths open.

"How do you know Ma-gi?" Lance asked.

"Since when?" Bow further asked.

Adora realized the staring. She blushed in embarrassment.

"Oh. Heh. Catra and I learned it after we found some Magicat cultural records. Magicats speak Ma-gi as their native tongue but of course also Etherian. Catra wanted to feel closer to her culture and learn everything she could about her people. We never met another Magicat in the Horde, so she grew up thinking she was alone. Now that we know that's not the case, she wants to learn as much as possible. Reclaim some of her identity that was stolen from her. Shadow Weaver told us that Catra's species were annihilated and that her own family abandoned her, which was probably a lie to make make Catra feel bad about herself."

That surprised no one. Of course Shadow Weaver would try to squash any form of hope of a better life in a young Catra. Helped lower Catra's self-worth even more.

Micah's face showed just how unsurprised but still disgusted he was by the information. He looked at Catra, a sadness in his eyes. Glimmer shared that look. She crossed her arms.

"I hate that she truly believed she was alone in the world. All because that woman hated her as a child. Imagine how she would've turned out if she'd grown up with her own people and had a family to teach her that kind of stuff. Imagine how different our world would be right now."

It was a bittersweet thought.

"I don't like that alternative world." Adora commented.

Adora looked down at Catra, who had calmed down and was instead playing with her hair, pure wonder in her eyes. Adora smiled.

"I wouldn't have met her or you guys. I wouldn't have become She-ra. The war would have probably be still going on, the Horde winning. Horde Prime would have still come to destroy this planet. Yeah, certain people would still be here with us..."

She glanced over at Micah. The man smiled sadly.

"But it wouldn't have mattered because we'd still be stuck in the war and probably lose." He finished. "I think Angela would prefer this ending to the hypothetical ending. That's just how messy war is. You get some good, some bad and everything in between. There would still be casualties and maybe Catra would have probably died with her family if it's true. We don't know for sure how things might've turned out for us if Catra had been raised outside the Horde, but... I don't think I would change anything."

Micah looked at Glimmer, love in his eyes.

"I would love for your mother to be here, but you are more than enough for me to be happy. Loss is a part of war, no matter how hard it is to accept it. We do things we might not have done otherwise, and I know for a fact that Catra isn't the only person who made terrible choices during the war. We all did, the Rebellion or the Horde. We all have hurt someone, caused damage to homes and people whether we meant to or not. That's how war is and no one side is to fully blame for it. No one person is to blame for it."

Micah approached Adora. He stroked Catra's hair. Catra's main was wild as always, but soft.

"Catra, like all us was just a child born into war and was forced into a position she didn't ask for. She didn't get to choose who raised her or where she grew up. She didn't choose what was taught to her or the morals she was brainwashed into believing. No one was there to teach you kids any different. I've come to realize that you can't blame someone for being a certain way if there's no one there to correct them. I can't blame Catra for taking The Horde's side when she was raised only being taught that the Horde was in the right. She didn't get to leave, like you did."

Adora and Micah made eye contact.

"Leaving, in her mind, wasn't an option. She might have had options, but not a choice. It makes sense if you think about it. Would you rather stay with the evil you know, or risk leaving that false sense of safety for an unknown evil? She knew how to survive the Horde, so instead of risking it outside the Horde where she didn't know anything about it, she stayed where she was at least safe on some level."

Adora knew the guilt would never completely go away. Catra had said the same thing to her one day, during a therapy session. Catra had a hard believing that she was a victim of any form of abuse or indoctrination. Always the badass, unbreakable survivor, she also had trouble accepting that she wasn't fully to blame for the damage that happened during her time in power. Most people outside the Rebellion, saw Catra as a monster that destroyed their lives, but never once considered that Catra only played a small part in the war that had been going on for ages, long before Catra had been born. It wasn't fair to her to shoulder all the blame for what happened. Mermista could hate her all she wanted, but she couldn't deny that Catra wasn't the only one there during the attack on Salineas. There had been dozens, if not hundreds, of soldiers there with her that day. Yes, she was in command. Catra took responsibility for that point, but she didn't do all that damage by herself and it frustrated Adora that people always ignored that part.

Looking back, Catra hadn't actually intentionally harmed anyone except Adora, and maybe Glimmer and Bow. Catra's goal while in the Horde was to take control of towns and kingdoms. Take control, never to attack the people. Catra was smarter than people gave her credit for.

Even the Horde soldiers were treated better. Well, that was before Catra lost her sanity and had a mental breakdown. That was a whole other issue that no one likes to talk about. The guilt Catra carried because of the memories during that time was enough to have her spiraling all over again into an almost suicidal mindset.

Yeah, that had been a scary few days, having Catra on 48 hour watch. Thank the gods Melog had been there, before...

A coo broke the tense atmosphere. Adora looked down at Catra, who was looking back at her, happy about something. Adora couldn't help but smile. She couldn't turn back time and erase their experiences, but she could take this opportunity to make better memories for Catra. Hopefully, her current memories and the memories Catra already had before all this could co-exist. No use worrying about that right now, though she really missed her girlfriend. The nights were sometimes lonely. However, taking care of a baby helped keep her occupied. Until the time came, Catra's happiness and health was Adora's top priority.

"Que tu quiere? Huh? Por que tu mirando a mi? Why are you looking at me, mi bebe?"

Adora kissed Catra's ticklish neck, blowing a raspberry. Catra cackled, squirming to push Adora's face away.

"Hey." Bow said. "Do you think you can teach me some Ma-gi? We can talk to Catra in both languages so she can learn while we learn."

That was actually a great idea. Adora looked at Catra again.

"What do you think, mi bebe? Do you want us to talk Ma-gi?" She cooed, rubbing their noses together. "It's a good thing because you need to learn it. Yes, you do. Can't be Catra unless you speak like her too."

Catra started to babble, her tail wagging around in excitement. Sounded like she agreed. With a purring baby Catra on her hip, Adora turned to the others.

"How about we go buy that crib for Catra?" She suggested.

Scorpia and Bow jumped at the offer.

"Ooh and can we buy her some cute onesies?" Glimmer gushed. "Maybe we can buy the crib that can turn into a bed. You never know if someone will need to get into the bed at night when she's crying."

Micah nodded in agreement.

"Yes, yes, we can get all that and more."

Scorpia took hold of one of Catra's hands.

"Only the best for our little Wildcat." She cooed.

Catra stared at Scorpia, unsure of what to make of the giant of a woman. She didn't look afraid, just unsure. Catra looked at Adora for reassurance. Adora giggled.

"Look, Catra. It's Scorpia. Your best friend. She's nice."

Making sure Catra was watching, Adora reached out a hand and touched Scorpia's pincers.

"See? Nice." She reinforced.

Catra, seeing Adora have no issue with Scorpia, decided to test it out herself. Scorpia held out an arm for Catra to touch. Catra's hand touched the exoskeleton. Catra babbled at Scorpia, her hand flailing around, as if trying to harshly pet Scorpia. Catra squealed, looking again at Adora. Adora nodded.

"Yeah, kitty. Scorpia's nice. Now, you wanna make friends with Glimmer?"

Adora turned Catra towards Glimmer. Glimmer couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. She walked up to Adora.

"She is pretty cute." She commented. "At least she can't call me Sparkles."

Catra looked enamored by Glimmer. Her arms were reaching for Glimmer, which surprised her. She hesitated. Glimmer wasn't very good with kids, being an only child and grown up sort of spoiled as a result.

"Should I...?"

Adora nodded excitedly.

"Take her, Glimmer. She wants you."

"Awww!" Bow fawned.

Glimmer was handed Catra, Adora making sure she was holding Catra correctly. Glimmer stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do with Catra. Catra, on the other hand, knew exactly what she wanted. Reaching up her hand, she took a fistful of Glimmer's hair and yanked.

"Ow! Get her off!" She demanded.

Adora was quick to untangle the hair from the tiny hands. Catra gurgled and shrieked, not happy with her discovery being taken away. Glimmer hummed, almost glaring at the baby.

"Rascal." She muttered. "Here. I'll give you something else to look at."

Waving a hand in front of Catra's face, Glimmer got Catra's attention on it. Summoning a sigil in midair, Glimmer made a shower of pink magic sprinkle over Catra's head. Catra was in awe at the sight. She reached out to touch it but couldn't. That didn't stop her from trying again. When the magic faded, Glimmer repeated the action. That seemed to have kept Catra occupied and happy.

The group walked out of the room and down to the nursery. While Micah called to make an appointment with the local baby furniture store, the younger adults sat down on the carpeted floor, Catra sitting in Glimmer's lap. Glimmer continued to create magic bursts in the air, Catra laughing and screaming in delight while trying to catch the magic.

Of course, Catra ended up having a sneeze attack due to the magic raining down on her head. Bow recorded it on his trackerpad. Catra hissed unhappily when everyone laughed, thinking they were laughing at her.

"Aww, no baby. Don't be upset. It's funny." Adora said, standing Catra up on her lap. "We're not laughing at you, kitten. You're a good kitty and we love you."

Adora smushed her face against Catra's stomach, repeating incoherent words that only babies enjoyed. Catra smiled again for a moment. Then, she began to get fussy, rubbing her tiny fist against her eyes. She whimpered, wiggling around in Adora's grasp.

"It's okay, baby." Adora quickly pulled Catra against her body, letting her rest her head on her shoulder.

Adora looked towards Lance and George.

"Was that a hungry cry or tired cry? I know she's tired but I heard a hungry cry, too."

George, who was standing by the doorway, arms crossed, nodded his head.

"I did too. She hungry and tired. I'll go warm up a bottle for her so she can eat and then nap. C'mon before she really starts wailing."

Adora, followed by Bow and Glimmer followed George and Lance down to the royal kitchen. A bottle was prepared, everyone hoping and silently praying that Catra wouldn't cry. George had Catra in his arms. Catra was seconds away from crying when the bottle was popped into her mouth. She grabbed onto it, hungrily gulping down the milk.

Everyone literally took a breath of relief. Walking back to Catra's nursery, George hummed a tune of an Etherian lullaby, hoping to get Catra to sleep faster.

He was soon sat in the rocking chair, gazing down at Catra as she devoured the milk. Her eyelids were seeming to be getting heavier as time passed. Catra would drink for a minute and then slowly stop, as if falling asleep, then wake up suddenly and start up again.

George hummed, a soft smile on his face. A hand on his shoulder made him look up. Lance was standing beside the chair, wearing a matching smile.

"I was going to tell to not get too attached to her as a baby, but I'm afraid it's too late for that, huh?"

George chuckled. Catra finished the bottle. George handed the bottle to Lance, and then readjusted Catra so she was laying against his chest, wrapped up in her blanket. Well, it was sort of Adora's blanket. They just thought that Catra would like it because it had Adora's scent on it, which Adora said calmed adult Catra. She begged them not to tell Catra they knew. It worked. Catra never wanted to be apart from it, unless she was being held by Adora herself. It further confirmed that Catra probably knew who Adora was on some unconscious level.

The blanket was a dark red. Scorpia had gotten it for Catra after the incident, claiming she needed her own baby blanket. It was incredibly soft and fuzzy. Perfect for a Magicat kitten. It even had Catra's first initial sewn into it with gold thread.

Soon enough, Catra was fast asleep. George stood up. Walking over to the little temporary  bed they had set up, he slowly laid Catra down next to Melog, who purred gently, cuddling Catra. They began grooming her fur, making sure to not stir her. George and Lance stood there, watching Catra sleep, like two proud parents.

"So," Bow whispered, approaching his dads.

The men turned away from the baby, and towards their son. Bow smiled cheekily.

"When do we adopt her?" He joked, nudging Lance.

Lance snorted.

"If only it were that easy." He said. "Would you even be okay with that? Having Catra as a sister?"

Bow lit up in excitement.

"Wait, really? That'd be so cool. The other guys would love her."

He suddenly deflated a bit.

"Though, I'm not sure how she'd feel about having 12 siblings all of a sudden. Having grown up without even parents would make being adopted at 21 a bit weird, don't you think?"

That was true. Catra already must have issues with parental figures, since the only one she had was abusive. She didn't talk about her thoughts on who her birth family was, so they didn't know if Catra even cared about not having parents. Guess, they'd just have to wait and see.

"Let's see what happens, alright." Lance told Bow. "When Catra is an adult again, we'll see what we think. For now, let's just enjoy our time with Catra while it lasts."

George snorted.

"She's going to end up spoiled." He said. "Spoiled, but not entitled."

"Of course." Lance agreed.

Bow couldn't help but smile. It was great to see his dads so taken by Catra. Perhaps she was just what the couple needed. He just hoped his dads are what Catra needs too.

So yeah. Lemme know your thoughts :)