Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Evie looks around the small town where she landed. Charming, California. She finds herself laughing a little bit, thinking about Chad Charming and how just a few years ago, her biggest worry was trying to catch his attention so she could land herself a Prince, just like her mother always taught her.

And now... now her biggest worry was a lot bigger than that.

She shakes her head and takes another look at the house Ben found for her. Ben and Mal, wanting to make sure that she is taken care of in this new and weird land bought her a house, and set her up with a bank account with far too much money.

And yes, technically she is royalty and should have far too much money. But that's not the life she is living here. At least it's not supposed to be the life that she is living here.

Somewhere in the distance she hears the deep rumbling of a pack of motorcycles driving practically in unison. She sighs, already missing her friends, feeling incredibly vulnerable being here by herself. After all, everyone knows better than to travel solo on the Isle, else you get killed.

But she isn't on the Isle, and she isn't in Auradon either.

She looks around, and even though the street looks empty, she knows that she can't just use her magic to move all her boxes into her new house. She lets out a very unladylike sigh, knowing her mother would have smacked her had she heard it, and starts moving the boxes from her car onto the porch. Would it make more sense to bring them all into the house as she took them out of the car, sure. Will she? Of course not.

And then she hears a voice from behind her. "You need help with that Darlin'?" She turns to see a pack of rough looking men leaning against their bikes watching her carefully. She isn't sure which one spoke, but in this case, she isn't sure it matters.

She's sure every woman outside of this small town would be terrified to see them all congregated in front of her house, but it's the most comfortable she's felt since the decision was made that she had to leave Auradon for her own safety.

"I think I can handle a few boxes, after all, someone had to get them into the car, didn't they?" She's lying on multiple counts. First of all, she would love the help moving all her shit into the house. The idea of hours of manual labour before even beginning to unpack the boxes doesn't exactly appeal to her. But she also didn't actually pack the car herself, Ben had the guards do it while she said goodbye to everyone.

"We would hardly be the upstanding gentlemen we are if we leave you to move all those boxes yourself Blueberry. So, why don't you do us all a favour, stop fighting, let us help and then maybe come get a drink with us to celebrate." This time she knows exactly who spoke, the man who appears to be the leader of this motley crew, blonde hair, more tattoos than she actually wants to count and a smirk that would put Jay's to shame.

"Blueberry... certainly isn't the first time I heard that nickname, although you are missing a title or two." Evie gestures with her arms that they can start unloading her boxes if they really want to. While they all start towards her car, she reaches into her purse to find the keys that she knows Ben put in there, she watched him put them in there but now, surrounded by all these men she is struggling to find them.

"Everything alright there Darlin'?" An older looking man asked, seemingly genuinely.

"Is that going to be a thing, calling me Darlin'? I'm not against it, I just need to know, mainly because I have a friend who would be called by his last name Darling all the time. And yes, I'm fine. Just looking for the keys I know my brother-in-law put in my purse this morning." She finally finds them, under her mirror in the secret compartment, rolling her eyes. "Found them." she unlocks the door and pushes the boxes already on her porch out of the way.

"Anywhere in particular you want the boxes?" The blond asked.

"Oh, they should all be labelled, I think. And I know Ben came and labelled each of the rooms as well, he's a worrier that Benjamin, so... if it isn't too much trouble. If it is, you can just leave them all in the main room and I can sort and everything later." Evie rolls her eyes again, looking at all the tape Ben put up, labelling each room, reminders that she's okay, it is all incredibly Ben-like.

"Ben... that your boyfriend Blueberry?" Seems the blonde isn't letting go of that nickname for anything.

Evie can't help but practically breakdown laughing at that. "Oh boy, no, never, not in a million years. He's my brother-in-law. My half-sister Mal married him... oh wow about six years ago now. Also, the name is Evie, Blondie." Evie smiles at the way his eyes change when he realizes she is single, or makes the assumption based on her reaction.

"Jax. And this is Opie, Bobby, Tig, Half-Sack, and Juice." Jax nods towards each man as he introduces them.

"Well, thank you Jax, and company. I appreciate the assist, please let me know if there is anything I can do to repay you, within reason of course." Evie smiles kindly at each of them, not at all put off by their gruffness.

"You should come by the clubhouse tonight, have a drink, or three, you seem like you need it. Besides that, a smile from a pretty girl is all we need." Jax lays the charm on thick, and Evie doesn't fall for it for even a second.

"We shall see. Thank you all again. I should really call Ben and let him know I arrived safely, so I don't have an entire army of men looking for me." She wishes that she was joking, but he would send the royal guards if she isn't careful.

Jax scribbles something on one of the boxes. "That's my number, and the address for the clubhouse, come by anytime."

Jax and the rest of the guys leave all waving at her.

"Well... that'll be interesting." Evie closes and locks her door, sending Ben a quick text so that he knows she is alive and looks around her house now full of her boxes.

Chapter Text

Evie parks her car in the parking lot of TM, looking around. She gets out of the car and does a quick check of her outfit. She feels weird, not wearing a dress, or a tiara, or anything that she normally would wear.

But she has to remember that nothing is supposed to be like normal. That's the whole point.

Evie sees Jax leaning against his bike, smoking a cigarette and looking like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. "So, Blondie... Is this a garage, a bar, a jungle gym for children? It seems to be a little confused." Evie can't help the smirk that settles on her face when she startles Jax.

"A little of all three most likely. I'm glad you decided to join us Blueberry. But I'll admit I'm surprised, you didn't seem too enthused about the idea." Jax finishes his cigarette before ambling towards her.

"You can thank or blame my sister and brother-in-law for that. They were driving me crazy and if I didn't have an excuse to get off the phone... well they'd never leave me alone." Evie shakes her head slightly and starts walking with Jax into the clubhouse.

"Couldn't you just have told them you had plans and then stayed home?" Jax didn't survive being raised by Gemma without lying to her. A lot.

"Mal would be able to tell. It's practically a superpower of hers. I could never get away with anything growing up, at least not when it came to her." Evie realizes just how careful she has to be with her words.

"Well, I'll be sure to send her a fruit basket or something to thank her for being the reason you grace us with your presence. What is your drink of choice?" Jax leads her to the bar and gestures for the prospect behind the bar to get him a whiskey.

"Oh. I really don't drink. Can I just get like a bottle of water or something?" Evie didn't think this far ahead. She has never been one to drink. After everything that happened on the Isle, and then with Doug... she likes to remain clear headed.

"Sure Blueberry, whatever you want." Jax watches her carefully. Normally, a new woman hanging around the club is either deeply terrified of them and their lifestyle, or they are angling to be a croweater with the possibility of being a members Old Lady, but Evie seems reasonably comfortable around them but doesn't seem to be interested in any of them.

"What exactly is this place? I mean I've managed to put two and two together and possibly even get four. Y'all are a motorcycle gang, right?" Evie looks around, sees the familiar tagging to mark territory that she grew up with.

"Club. We are a club, not a gang. And this is our clubhouse, a place where we can just be us." Jax is quick to correct her language and terminology. He has always considered SAMCRO to be better than the gangs they knew, he wasn't a gangbanger, he was a Harley Enthusiast, and a mechanic.

"I wasn't judging. Trust me, there isn't much I would judge these days." Evie takes her bottle of water and looks around the clubhouse, at the flags, the posters, the artwork, the mugshots. "I had a place like this. Gods, it seems like two lifetimes ago, and I guess is some ways it was. All our art was spray-painted, designed by my sister. But it was ours, something we desperately needed." Evie almost can't help the words from falling from her lips, there is something about Jax that draws her in, she wants him to understand her. And that scares her. A lot.

"So, what brings you to our quiet little town, I'll admit we don't get a lot of newcomers." Jax has been curious about the blue haired woman since they left her house earlier that day. He tried to get Juice to find information on her, but there was really nothing about her online, of course they only had a first name.

"Oh, that is a long story." Evie shakes her head.

"I got nothing but time Blueberry."

"There's a lot I can't tell you. For a lot of reasons. But, looking around, I guess there is some things I can tell you that won't send you running in the opposite direction. But it would be easier to just tell you all at the same time, since I assume you'll share anything you learn?" Evie doesn't look mad or upset at the prospect of her information being shared with everyone in the club.

"If you don't mind? My stepfather, back when he ran the club, kept so much to himself, it was insidious, it nearly destroyed the club. I tried to learn from his mistakes." Jax at least has the decency to look a little sheepish at being caught out so quickly.

"I wouldn't offer if I minded Jax. I don't say things I don't mean." Evie stares him down.

Jax leads her into the Chapel and gestures for the guys to join them.

"Evie here was going to explain her story, how she landed her in Charming of all places, and why she doesn't seem ready to run at the very sight of us." Jax hands the floor to Evie, who is standing next to him at the head of the table.

"It's a bit of a long story, and like I told Jax, there are going to be some things that I have to leave out for various reasons. But I also believe that today didn't happen by chance, and since I have a feeling, I am going to be spending a lot more time here, around you all, you deserve to know at least some of it." Evie looks around at the table, taking in the various men sitting around it.

"Take your time Darlin', we got drinks, smokes, and snacks. We don't got anywhere we gotta be anytime soon." The man Evie believes Jax called Bobby earlier said.

"Where I grew up... it was... awful. But the truth is I didn't know it was awful for 16 years, because I never knew life could be better than what I had. I didn't know food that wasn't rotten or moldy existed. I didn't know that people had clean drinking water, or reliable running water. I didn't know that you could buy clothes, I didn't know you could have a warm, safe place to sleep. I didn't know that children shouldn't be running around getting into fights with weapons to ensure that they survived. I only knew what I knew. Gods, I was so mad when I was 16 and got to experience life outside of that place. To see all the waste, and the things people took for granted. It made me so angry, all the time. But I am getting ahead of myself just a little bit." Evie sees the anger on these men's faces and she's shocked. They have known her for half a second and they are already angry on her behalf, for the abuse she suffered and she barely scratched the surface.

"Where were the adults? Where were the people who were supposed to take care of you? We ain't fans of law enforcement, but whoever treated you like that should be rotting in prison." Jax is the first to speak, if a low growl can be considered speaking, because realistically that is what his voice sounded like.

"Funny you should mention prison... That's where I grew up. It was a pilot program of a sort, a really messed up one, but one, nonetheless. Instead of a traditional prison, with guards and bars, rules, routines, all the institutional expectations... it was a barely habitable island about half an hour from the mainland. There was no escaping, they had a number of ways to ensure that, the ways don't matter, but it was unescapable, I promise you that. And instead of taking away the children that were born on the Isle, they just... left us there to be raised by our parents. The thought process was that it would be crueler to remove us from their care, since our parents were all serving life sentences. But Gods do I wish they would have just taken us away. They knew we were born; they just didn't seem to care about us. It's crazy but I don't blame my parents for the abuse I suffered at my mother's hand, I don't blame the other prisoners for the atrocities they committed against me, I blame the administration that left us there, to be raised by those animals, that never checked on us, never cared to make sure we had healthcare, a safe place to sleep at night, food to eat. They just abandoned us to the worst their society had to offer. These people were too dangerous to keep on the mainland, but it was safe enough for kids? Babies? I was born on the Isle, and I didn't leave until days before my 16th birthday." Evie has many unresolved emotions as they relate to Mal's in-laws, but there is a lot that has to be left unsaid.

"I don't mean to be difficult, but you are clearly not 16 any longer." Bobby is trying to keep her on topic, mainly because he is pretty sure if she keeps talking about her childhood, the entire club will go on a murder spree, and they've had a solid number of months without committing murder.

"Right. Sorry. Anyways, shortly before we turned 16. My sister Mal, our friends Jay and Carlos, and I.... we received scholarships and invitations off the Isle to go to a boarding school on the mainland called Auradon Prep. Our parents only let us go because they wanted us to find a way for them off the Isle as well, so that they could take over the mainland and you know... burn it to the ground and everything. But we didn't care. It was a chance to get away from it all. Away from our parents and their abuse, away from the men who were all waiting for their chance to brutalize me, just a chance to get away from it all. We took it, and didn't even hesitate, not really." Evie still feels bad sometimes, there were so many kids that could have benefitted from those invitations, and they didn't even think about them when they accepted, they just wanted off the literal hellscape they lived on.

"I don't think anyone would blame you for that Blueberry, what else were you supposed to do?" Jax is itching to reach for his gun, but he doesn't have a target... yet.

"There is a lot I could have done. But anyways. We get to Auradon Prep and it was like we entered a different world, and I guess we did. Initially, we wanted it to burn to the ground, partially because our parents would have literally murdered us for failing them, but also because we were pissed. The first time I stabbed a guy... I was 6. By the time I was 9 I couldn't leave my house without at least two friends or else some guy would kidnap me so they could do terrible awful things to me. I was kidnapped... 8 times before I left for Auradon Prep if I'm remembering correctly. And while that was happening, while children were dying in the street on the Isle, being trampled trying to get food, being forced to trade awful things for shelter there was this land of abundance. Where people threw out food they didn't finish, where they had heating in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. They had adults who gave a crap what happened to them. You know... there was a whole medical form we had to fill out and we didn't know how to answer half the questions. What the fuck is a food allergy? People avoided food that make them sick? Food wasn't supposed to make you sick? We had no idea. And when we realized just how much we didn't know... we were so mad. I mean... it was bad." Evie shakes her head at the memory of, especially Jay's reaction to finding out everything Auradon had that they didn't.

"I would be pissed to. I mean fuck I am pissed, and I barely know you." The man Evie is pretty sure is named Opie said.

"After a while, we made peace with it. We integrated ourselves into the school, Mal started dating Ben, we all made friends, and later started dating kids from the school. We never forgot where we came from, but we decided to try and make the best of the life we were being given. And that worked great, for years. I mean it wasn't smooth sailing, but it wasn't a complete disaster either. There was a lot of growing pains, but there was also a lot of genuine growth that happened, both for us but also the kids who grew up in Auradon. It was mostly great." Evie is doing her best to be very careful with her words now. There is so much that she can't say. There is so much that would be very bad if she let it slip.

"But?" Jax is aware she ain't here because everything was mostly great.

"The first couple of years, we had issues with our parents, issues with jealousy, but we worked through it all. And by the time we were 19, it settled into something akin to boring, truthfully. We dismantled the Isle, created an actual prison, with guards, and actual sentences, healthcare, education, the whole thing. And it worked great for a long time. But peace never lasts. My ex-boyfriend... he couldn't handle that I was successful, that I was closer to the political elite and leaders than he was, and he grew up with most of them. Ben, my brother-in-law, he's the leader of Auradon now, has been for a really long time. He was the one that helped us initiate all the changes that we did. And Doug, that's my ex, he knew Ben since they were in diapers, but I was the one Ben listened to. Doug couldn't handle that I didn't need him, or any man really. And he really hated that my childhood, if it can be called that meant that I didn't fall for his shit. He used and abused my trust. The security team for Ben and Mal decided it was too dangerous for me to stay there, at least right now. So that's why I'm here, I needed to get away, get far away, somewhere he would never think of to find me." Evie shrugs, even though that is quite possibly the most uncouth thing she could do, and she finds herself flinching, as if her mother whipped her between her shoulders.

"So... can we kill him? I feel like we can kill him." Opie looks around the table to see that everyone seems to agree with him.

"No! Look, there are alliances, and age-old feuds and deals that are involved in all this. The whole reason I'm here is so that he, and whatever people are helping him are caught, the right way. Trust me, there is nothing I would like more than to run my sword through him, and somewhere quite painful but Ben convinced me to try it this way instead. But it's fine. I'm actually looking forward to the challenge of being here. Plus, I'm getting back to what I love more than anything... Fashion design. I opened a new fashion label, since my old one would make it too easy to trace me. So, if you need any clothing designed... Sovereign Clothing is here for you all." Evie smiles at them all, trying to convince them that she is okay.

"Fine. For now. But don't think I'm letting this go." Jax stares into her eyes, making sure that she can see how serious he is.

"I have a feeling you don't let a lot go. But anyways... yeah that's the gist of my life story. If you want me to keep my distance I get it, you probably didn't think violence and gruesome abuse would follow me around when you offered to help but me move my boxes." Evie watches all of their eyes seem to glare at her for even suggesting it.

"Never going to happen Blueberry. You're stuck with us now." Jax smirks at her and leads her out of the Chapel, a hand practically ghosting her hip but not actually touching her, not after everything she just told them.

"That doesn't sound like the worst thing in the world." Evie smiles back at him and lets him lead her back into the bar, where she spent the rest of the night relaxing with the Sons of Anarchy, a sentence probably never uttered by a woman before.

Chapter Text

It's been a couple of weeks since Evie arrived in Charming. She seems to have created a routine for herself, one that feels safe for her. So much so that she found more and more of her natural personality bleeding out.

And so far, the guys haven't seemed to mind too much.

And by the guys she means Jax. She loves all the Sons of Anarchy, at least the ones that she interacts with regularly, but she can't deny that her and Jax have been getting closer.

And that scares her a little bit.

After all, she started dating Doug so soon after moving to Auradon and that didn't exactly turn out well.

But on the other hand, Mal started dating Ben soon after they moved and that worked out amazingly.

And like speaking of the devil and he appears, there is a knock on her door. She glances out the window and sees Jax on her porch, looking as comfortable as ever.

"Hey Blondie, what's going on? It's unusual for you to show up so early in the morning." Evie can't help but tease Jax as she opens her door for him to come in, Jax walking towards her kitchen without waiting even a moment.

"Yeah, trust me I wish I was still in bed, unfortunately that wasn't in the cards for me. I've been up most of the night Blueberry." Jax pours himself a mug of coffee, adding a huge spoonful of sugar and taking a sip before looking at her.

"Is everything okay?" Evie is suddenly worried, Jax has never seemed anything other than totally at ease.

"Not really babe, I mean yeah everything's fine I just... fuck I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. Which I know, after all the shit you've been through is fucked up, because you need a friend, you need someone you can trust but I can't keep pretending that I am not crazy about you."

"I... There's a lot I want to say but I don't know how you'll take it." Evie can't deny the shiver that goes up her back when he admitted that he liked her. But she hates that he seems to be upset that he likes her.

"So long as the next words out of your mouth aren't, I hate you, get out, I never want to see you again... I'm all ears babe." Now that Jax has said his piece, he almost feels more relaxed, like now he can see a way to get everything he wants.

"Yeah... trust me that is not it. However, you might run in the opposite direction once I tell you everything. Please, have a seat." Evie gestures towards the chair at her kitchen table and sits across from him, fidgeting with her long braid.

"Hey Evie... trust me, okay? I'm here, I'm right here." Underneath all his bravado, underneath all his swagger and his rough exterior, Jax's heart runs deep, and Evie has already found a place in his battered heart.

"Alright, I'm going to start with what is probably the easier of the two truths I have to share. I am sure you noticed that I am often very careful with my words, That I don't use titles, I say things like leadership, administration, things like that. There's a reason. Where I come from... it isn't a democracy or anything like that, not technically. I'm... royalty. And I don't mean like political royalty, I don't mean like how you grew up the Prince of Charming, which always made me laugh because I knew a real Prince Charming, his name is Chad, he's a dick. I mean quite literally, having thrones, ruling kingdoms Royalty. Ben is the King of Auradon, Mal is his queen, there is a reason my clothing line is called Sovereign, it was a little nod to the life that I left behind when I came here."

"Wait... so are you a princess? A queen? Wait... an actual Prince Charming." Jax would love to think that Evie is just delusional, is just not okay. But he can't deny that she seems to be telling the truth, a lot of her half speeches and controlled word choices.

"So... that's a bit of a complicated answer. Growing up I was a Princess, but since I was on the Isle, my mother having lost her official title and lands, and kingdom when she committed her atrocities, it was a title without power. But after Ben brought us to Auradon Prep I met with the people my mother harmed. My Stepsister, and her children. I'm actually on really good terms with all of them now, and because of that my stepsister placed me in her line of succession. And Ben and Mal put me in theirs as well, at least until they have children, or so they tell me." Evie shrugs and takes a sip from her mug, trying not to deal with everything that she is telling him.

"Okay, so why did you think finding out you are titled would change how I feel about you? It's a bit weird sure, but nothing in Charming is ever normal, not really." Jax isn't sure how to process this all, but it doesn't change his feelings, or his mind.

"I did mention that was the easy one, right? Right. So here goes. Um... Magic is real, and yeah, I know exactly how that sounds. And I know that you probably think that I am absolutely insane, but I can prove it. I promise." Evie starts rambling and fidgeting even harder than she was before.

"I'm sorry... once more?" Jax is sure he misheard her, he had to have. There is no way she said what he thinks that she just said.

But he is pretty sure he heard her right.

"Magic. It's real. I know that sounds insane and twisted and like I am trying to pull one over on you. I know. But here's the thing... the fairytales you heard growing up... Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Snow White... all real too. I mean truthfully the versions you heard, probably not even remotely close, but the people are real. I'm going to show you something but try not to freak out too much." Evie takes a deep breath, centers herself and opens her palm.

Slowly, not all at once, because it's a little harder for her magic to function here, where there isn't ambient magic in the air, but slowly her blue flame starts to appear in her hand, and she wants to laugh at the look on Jax's face, but she is still a little terrified of his reaction. This isn't something she was planning on sharing, especially not so soon after moving here. But if she wants a relationship with Jax, and for some crazy reason she really does, she needs to be able to be honest with him, about everything.

"Shit, that's so fucking cool. You can throw fire?!" Jax is sure he hasn't processed half of what she's said, but he also isn't sure he actually cares right now. He is sure he will have questions later. Once this all sinks in, but he looks at this woman and still wants to kiss her, still wants to play with her blue hair, still wants to spend hours wrapped around her.

"Um... yeah, I get it from my father. I can also make potions, cast spells... let me know when I've gone too far, and you want to run away. I get it." Evie extinguishes her flame and goes back to drinking her coffee. It was like ripping off a band-aid, just getting it all out there, no holding back.

"So, if all the fairytales are real who are you?" Jax watches her carefully. He already put two and two together and figured out that she was probably the kid of villains, because of where she grew up, but he's curious.

"I'm the daughter of the Evil Queen from Snow White's story." Evie just spits it out. She isn't used to associating herself with her dad, so she doesn't mention him.

"Fuck that's cool." Jax laughs,

"Yeah? You aren't running away screaming?" Evie is waiting for him to pull his knife, or maybe his gun on her.

"Fuck no. Babe, I'm not stupid enough to think this doesn't change anything, but it doesn't change the fact that I want to be here. I want to learn everything about you. And yes, I am aware just how Pussy Whipped I sound, so if we could maybe not bring this up to the guys, I'd appreciate it." Jax shakes his head and drinks his coffee.

"Yeah, I mean, of course. I mean... sorry I am usually in better control than this." Evie laughs a little and Jax moves to her quickly, pulling her up and stroking her face.

"I like the idea that I keep you out of control." Jax moves slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wants. But she doesn't want.

And the two share a kiss that for Jax is probably the softest he has ever kissed a woman before and for Evie... it was damn near perfect.

Better than anything she had before.

Chapter Text

It's crazy. She feels like she has been here for half a second, but it's been a month. A month since she moved to the small town of Charming California, a month since she met the Sons of Anarchy and their president Jackson Teller.

About a week and a half since he kissed her.

And her world has never been the same since.

In a good way. But for her, that means in a scary way. Because nothing in her life that has ever been good, has ever stayed good.

But Jax... he doesn't seem put off by her quirks. He doesn't care that she has a sword where most people keep their umbrellas, he doesn't mind that sometimes he wakes up to her speaking a language that sounds incredibly foreign and ancient. He accepts the fact that sometimes she won't sleep, that she will stay up all night working on a new design, or just wanting to sketch, nothing in particular, just sketching.

And she takes all that he is in stride as well. President of a motorcycle club isn't necessarily the easiest man in the world to date but... she gets it. She gets the MC's world, the loyalty, the love and bond between all the men. She gets it.

Learning about his son nearly broke her heart. Poor little guy, born when his mother overdosed while pregnant, he never stood a chance. It reminded her of Crystal, and all the other girls on the Isle growing up.

Being with Jax means being around the Sons all the time. And that is probably one of the things that appealed to her most of all. The feeling of safety, the feeling of having a group of people to have her back. It's been amazing, it's been exactly what she needed when she moved here, even if she didn't realize it.

She hasn't spent a night alone since that morning. Jax might be late, but he always finds his way to her house, and she doesn't mind. She's never been particularly good at being alone. And now it seems like maybe she will never have to be alone again.

Maybe she doesn't want to leave Charming... even after Doug and his people are caught.

Evie finishes her makeup, something that she still does for comfort reasons. She might not wear tiaras, might not wear dresses, or carry her sword anymore. But she wears her heels and does her makeup.

Doug doesn't get to take that from her. He doesn't get to take anything else from her.

And she drives to the Clubhouse. Jax had texted her, saying they are celebrating, and he wants her there.

Which means it's a party. A MC party that is. Which is insane, and wild, and a lot like the parties she attended on the Isle.

And after the day she has had, a party feels like a good idea. Or rather a really bad idea. She still doesn't drink, but everyone around her does.

She slides out of her car and struts into the clubhouse like she belongs there, because it honestly feels like she does. She says hi to all the people, making her way to the bar where the Prospect is already grabbing her a bottle of water. It's special water they now have just for her. It's bubbly and flavoured. Something so girly they never would have kept it before. But, for her, they are more than happy to keep it in the fridge.

She sees that the doors to the chapel are open, so she heads over, poking her head in to make sure it was okay to enter. "Hey Blondie, guys." She nods at the table before leaning down and kissing Jax quickly.

"Hey Babe, thanks for coming." Jax smiles and pulls Evie onto his lap, playing with her hair.

"Of course, I love a good party. You all seem a little too serious for a party though." Evie frowns slightly.

"Just wondering when you are gonna leave, cause none of us want you to. Which is insane, but true." Jax is the one who has to bring it up, none of the other guys have the courage to question Evie, at least not yet.

"Honestly... I don't plan to. I feel good here, happy here, happier than I ever was there." Evie shrugs and plays with Jax's beard to avoid looking at them.

"What do you mean?" Jax watches her carefully.

"Growing up on the Isle... Was chaos, it was horrific people doing unspeakable things mostly out of boredom. But I'd never been so clear in my entire life. I knew who my allies were, who my enemies were. I knew what areas were relatively safe. I had my roles, and I knew how to play them. When we got our chance to get out, when Ben brought us to Auradon... It should have been a dream come true. Especially for me. My mother raised me to be comfortable around royalty, to know how to act, the proper etiquette, everything. But everything was so murky. Everyone hated Chad, except on the field. He hated and didn't trust us... Except when Jay scored the winning goal? I was no stranger to deals with devils, but I couldn't figure out who the devil was at any given point. It got better. Over the years we came to know the players, we went to high school with them, were friends with them, and trusted them to a certain extent. But when I was attacked... I saw it. For a split second they didn't believe me. Because we strip away all the progress, we made over nearly a decade and I'm just a VK, and Doug was the son of Dopey, a guy they grew up with. Someone they believed to be a gentle soul. So yeah, I don't mind getting away from Auradon, getting away from the people who will probably never actually trust me, from the people who will probably always wonder in the back of their mind if this is when my true nature is revealed." Evie isn't sure how to handle her confession. She wasn't planning on revealing all of that, but honestly that seems to be par for the course for her with the guys.

"So, you don't plan on going back?" Opie is the one to ask. This whole conversation was brought up because Jax called her his Old Lady, and everyone expressed concerns for when she leaves, and goes back home.

"I mean once Doug and his co-conspirators are caught, I'll have to do some commuting for some meetings, but I really have no interest in going back to that life. Not now that I have this life." Evie kisses Jax again.

"Well, that is something worth celebrating." Jax laughs and stands up, with Tara still in his arms.

And then her phone starts ringing, two female voices singing about being proud of scars or something. "You guys go ahead, this is Mal, if I don't answer then Ben will start calling, and trust me. None of us want that. Believe me." Evie laughs and kisses Jax again before answering her phone.

"Hey Malsy, what's going on?"

The guys take her words to heart and head out into the main room of the clubhouse, the prospect pouring shots while Evie chats with her sister.

After almost fifteen minutes Jax looks over to make sure that Evie is okay, and she seems relaxed, smiling at something her sister seems to be saying.

Now he just needs to figure out a way to convince Evie to let him move into her house, because there is no way she would move into the Clubhouse, not that he would want her to.

And her house is pretty great.

Well... so is Evie if he's being perfectly honest.

But you didn't hear that from me.

Chapter Text

Evie wants to throw her phone against the wall. Or maybe throw a fireball at her phone. And it isn't even like the phone is really the problem.

No, the problem is the information that was passed on to her through the phone today.

Doug has requested an audience with the Royal Council (did it used to be called the King's Council because King Adam was a sexist, horrific monster who definitely should have been locked up... maybe. Does Evie need to work through her issues that she has with the Former King and Queen of Auradon... probably but now is not the time). That is a Council that Evie is an integral part of. One that even here in Charming she doesn't miss. Her mirror has a feature that allows her to project it onto a wall and it basically acts like a virtual meeting. She would think that it was really cool if she wasn't about to have to use it to confront her attacker. Except not even confront him.

He apparently has some information that he thinks the Council will find important, informative and worth making a deal with him. And the worst part is that she knows that the Council is going to have to at least listen. The ruler in her, the royal in her, the leader in her understands all of that.

The... and she hates using this word but unfortunately it fits. The victim in her hates it.

This isn't a trial; she isn't confronting him to put him in jail or anything like that, that at least would at least soothe the parts of her that are still hurt from what he did.

And it's happening today.

He requested the meeting ages ago, but Ben and Mal decided that it was probably best to wait to tell Evie. So that she wouldn't have time to think about it.

She did get approval to have a few of the Sons of Anarchy in the room with her for safety. While no one thinks that he will be able to breach her mirror portal she would rather not take any chances.

All she has to do is tell Jax.

That is... not going to go well.

Oh well. Can't put it off any longer. Evie walks to her closet and opens the door that Jax doesn't even realize is there. (Yes, of course Evie has a secret closet within her closet.) She takes out her absolute favourite everyday dress, it's a navy blue, off the shoulder dress with a red lace overlay. it falls just above her knee, but the back is longer. Paired with her most killer pair of blue velvet boots she already feels more like herself. She sits at her makeup table and pulls out a small and simple tiara, she isn't going for formal, just situationally appropriate for the Council meeting, and maybe a little bit of armor for what is going to feel like a battle. She adds some simple accessories, does her makeup and realizes that she can't actually put it off any longer.

She texts Jax to make sure that he will be at the Clubhouse and explained that she is going to need the Chapel, and a few guys.

To say that he is worried would be an understatement, but he readily agrees, provided she explains everything once she is there.

Evie struts into the Clubhouse. There is really no other way to describe how she was walking. She was channeling her old life, her old persona. The mix of Proper Princess and Isle of the Lost leader. This is someone the Sons of Anarchy have never actually met. Jax met her a little bit, but not seriously.

They are meeting her today though.

She hears the comments as she walks in.

Jax is waiting, fairly anxiously if she is being totally honest. "Are you okay babe? Also... wow. I know I should have better words for you, but I can't. You look amazing. Okay. What is going on?" Jax hands her a bottle of her water and leads her towards the Chapel, motioning for the guys to follow them.

"So, Jax knows this, but I don't know if the rest of you do. I am still a member of the Royal Council in Auradon. In fact, I am ranked third on that Council because I am Ben and Mal's heiress and crowned princess of Auradon. Anyways. That isn't exactly the important part. It was just a little background and context. So, we have a meeting today, which is nothing new, but Mal called to give me a heads up. Doug had reached out a couple of months ago, requesting an audience with the Council." Evie stops talking at that moment because the table erupts in anger. The fact that this pissant of a man had the audacity to request an audience with the Royals, and the fact that they must be taking the appointment.

"I know, trust me I know. But there isn't a choice. He is technically in his rights to request such an audience and while I could choose to abdicate, I don't really think that is the right move. If I abdicate, I can't be in the room when he starts talking which means that I won't be able to defend myself when he starts saying shit. So, really, it's better that I am in the room. Trust me, I gave Mal quite a bit of shit for this. And I got her and Ben to agree to letting a few of you in the room. Normally we can never have people outside of the Council in the room because it's all confidential but for my safety I can pick a few of you." Evie is already taking her mirror out and placing it in a position so that she can project it.

"How many of us? And what do you mean for your safety?" Jax watches her face carefully.

"So, I'm using my mirror and projecting it onto the wall. Theoretically no one should be able to come through that projection, but it is magic, and it is technically a portal, so better safe than sorry. And in terms of how many I don't want to abuse the good will, plus there are certainly going to be a few people on the Council that are going to object to this in general. So... maybe four or so of you?" Evie bites her lip.

"You look like you have a plan. Will we like this plan?" Opie has been watching her carefully, noting that she has had this calculating look on her face for a while, probably since she walked into the clubhouse.

"I'm pretty sure none of us like any part of this plan. But yes, I think that I know the way to do this. I have to exude chill and confidence, even though I have armed bodyguards, the only way that this will work is if he is more scared of me than you. Otherwise, he wins. I have to be seated, for a couple of reasons, the most important being that it takes a fair bit of my magic to keep the projection going. So, if I'm sitting there, Jax and Opie standing on either side of me. Half-Sack and Juice stand by the wall behind me, so you are all clearly in the shot, but he will have his attention focused on me." Evie nods and starts moving things that would be in the shot out of the way, so that it is isn't obvious where she is. She grabbed the flag she made, of her old emblem, her old fashion label and gestures for the guys to set it up behind her seat.

"You sure you are okay to do this?" Jax watches her with worried eyes, confronting an attacker is never easy, when it is someone, you loved and trusted it can be even worse.

Evie nods before closing her eyes and holding her hands in a loose ball. "Before I start the projection... you guys can't talk, okay? It doesn't matter what bullshit he starts saying, or that anyone else says you have to stay stoic, stay quiet and let me handle it." Evie opens her eyes for a second to make sure they all nod and get in position before closing her eyes again and chants the spell to project the mirror image onto the wall.

The Sons have to do their best not to react when they are suddenly looking at a very regal looking conference room. They each steal a glance at Evie, and she looks totally at ease, like there is nothing in the world that is bothering her. Also, she got a sword from somewhere? They aren't quite sure from where but its leaning against the table very clearly a message for someone.

"Princess Evie of the Isle, Crowned Princess of the United Kingdoms of Auradon, thank you for being here. I know you were just alerted to the only agenda item today. I appreciate you taking the time to be here." Ben normally wouldn't refer to her titles, and he even missed a couple, but she knows that he is doing it to remind the rest of the room who she is, and that they all need to tread carefully.

"King Ben, thank you for allowing me to keep my private security in the room. As you can imagine, the topic of the day is one that will be quite difficult for me and has the potentiality to turn violent. I am sure we all feel better knowing that I am protected if something were to go wrong." Evie is sure that her tone sounds positively wicked, which is the idea if she is perfectly honest.

"Of course, Princess Evie, are you ready? He has been cooling his heels for almost an hour." Mal has her eyes locked on her sister, apologizing without speaking, something they are quite adept at having grown up on the Isle.

"I would hate to cause him any more trouble. Please, the sooner we finish this, the sooner I can get on with my life." The sarcasm in her tone more biting than one would expect, Mal was always the sarcastic one of their team.

Everyone in the Council room turn their head to the screen in Evie's direct eyeline, where the guards connect to Doug in his 'undisclosed' location. Evie... she stops breathing for a moment when she sees him again. She hasn't seen him since the day in the hospital when she regained consciousness. She feels Jax's and Opie's hands on her shoulder which reminds her to breathe. Thankfully, it went unnoticed by the Council room, given that they all were shocked at just how rough Doug looked. It's almost like being on the run after beating your girlfriend within an inch of her life isn't good for one's health

"Good afternoon, Royal Council, thank you for agreeing to speak to me. I truly believe that this whole situation is a misunderstandi-- Evie?" Doug seems genuinely shocked that Evie is actually in attendance at a meeting, for a Council that she is a rather important member of.

"Yes, Sir Douglas. You were saying something about a misunderstanding I believe?" Evie hates that he has a title. It's only because of her. When she was named the Crown Princess of Auradon it was determined that her boyfriend needed to be titled, the same way Mal was inducted into the Court when she was first dating Ben.

"Right. I think that maybe if the two of us could talk, explain a couple things, you would agree that these charges, these allegations, the things you said I did to you, it's a bit of a reach don't you think?" Doug can't let her rattle him, even though she did.

"Which part is a reach? There are many things that happened between the two of us. Many things that because of your actions had to come to light. Things I would have been happy to file away as just things happen. But you took it a step too far, never content with a fraction of attention. And you made it unavoidable, you made it so that I had to file a statement, I never wanted to. But now here you are. I assume you come with some form of evidence that we would be interested in?" Evie has on occasion been happy to have grown up on the Isle, it's rare but it does happen. This is one of those times. The way that she is able to control her emotions, the way that she doesn't betray the fact that she is about 30 seconds away from puking is really quite amazing when you think about it.

"I know how these things work. I am willing to give up information on the people that helped me, people that hired me, people you should be a lot more interested in than me. But... I expect something in return." Doug has come so far; he is so close to his freedom that he can't let himself get sidetracked.

"Of course you do. And you think we won't catch these people without you? You think we don't know who would benefit from what you did to me? You think we were so shocked that you were working with people?" Evie is happy that Ben and Mal seem to be content to let her lead the charge for now, but she knows that it won't last for long, eventually there are going to be actual questions that need to be asked.

"I think you won't get them without me. My lawyer thinks so too." And there it is, the ego, the harsh reality under the guise of a good guy.

"Did your lawyer explain to you that even if you get reduced charges, or reduced time, you will still get time. These charges aren't going away just because you give up some information. What you did... and when you consider who the victim is. You are lucky that we are considering a deal at all." That is the moment that Ben decided to speak up.

"He did. And I understand. But I also think that when I reveal everything you all might change your mind." Doug isn't willing to give up on the idea of getting away with it all scot-free.

"This must be some pretty important information, some pretty compelling evidence and some incredibly powerful people so please, we are all ears." Evie folds her arms and settles more into her chair, once again giving off the appearance of total ease and comfort.

"I don't think it would be totally shocking to learn that your mother wanted you back under her thumb. She was actually the one who gave me all those suggestions on how to get you back to an appropriate weight, to remind you of your place in this relationship. She was a fountain of information, and she was more than happy to share it all with me. After all, if you had a throne without the need for prince, then it would be beneficial to your mother if she had you under her thumb. And with her still locked up, the only way for you to be under her thumb was by proxy. And I was happy to be that proxy." The evil smirk on Doug's face was enough to make Jax tighten his whole body. He wants to punch this guy in the teeth, with his pistol.

But Jax steals a glance at Evie, and she is maintaining her composure so, for now he will do his best to maintain his as well. Although it is going to be difficult if this guy keeps talking his face off.

"Again, did you think any of that was going to shock me? We are going to need to know exactly how you managed to get in to see her since she was under a pretty impressive lock and key, not to mention some pretty heavy potions. But I mean you worked right out of her notebook. It wasn't a shock to me at all the find out you learned from her. I'm a little curious when you decided to start working for her, but that is really neither here nor there when it comes down to it." Evie notices Jane in the corner of the room making notes on everything that is being said and nods to her, a signal that her mirror is recording everything, and she will send the recording to Jane as soon as the meeting is over.

"I'm not going to give up how I got in to see her, you don't need that information." Doug wants to protect his cousin, she didn't want to help him, but Doug convinced her it was for a good reason, to help Evie.

"We don't need that information? We don't need to know how someone without clearance was able to access the highest security level of our prison, and have what had to have been multiple chats with probably the most dangerous person in all of Auradon? You don't think that might be information that is important to us, the people responsible for the health and safety of the people of Auradon?" Ben can't believe what Doug is saying. He can't believe that this man used to be his friend, someone he trusted.

"They would never do it again, trust me. It has nothing to do with their ability to do their job and everything to do with their loyalty to me." Doug promised his cousin that he wouldn't give her up, but he isn't sure that he will be able to do that if they keep asking him.

"And given that you are going to be locked up, it's probably a good idea if we know what guard is loyal to you. I would hate for your whole deal to fall apart before we even have a chance to finish drafting it." Evie won't back down on this.

"Fine. Whatever. My cousin, Sharona. I told her I needed to ask the Evil Queen for permission to marry Evie. She fell for it hook, line and sinker. She wanted to be part of our fairytale happily ever after true love. But that was never in the cards for us... was it?" Doug stares down Evie.

"That is always what this was going to come down to wasn't it? That we weren't true love, and that was my fault, right? I was never good enough to earn having a true love. You were the perfect guy, the man of my dreams, and I was too much of a villain to have earned that, to deserve it. And so, we weren't true love, and that was my fault, and I had to learn my place, isn't that it?" Evie rolls her eyes and adjusts herself in her chair so that she is sitting at more attention than she was previously.

"Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was for me? To hear from everyone that you tried to wake me and failed? That the woman I wasted 2 years on apparently didn't love me, at least not really. It was humiliating. Everyone knew the only reason I was part of the inner circle was because of you, because of your sister, because you VK witches got your hooks in Ben without even trying and the rules were suddenly different. And because the rules were different, I had a chance. I had a chance to be more than a sidekick. But then you couldn't just love me enough, couldn't be good enough, and everyone knew it was only a matter of time before you kicked me to the curb, and I would lose everything. So yeah, I went to the woman who kept you in line for 15 years would have a couple of suggestions for me. And she was more than happy to help me." Doug wants to dig the knife in a little deeper.

"I didn't think I deserved a true love, that's true. But believing that is exactly why I stayed with you. I loved you. Really, I did. And the fact that we weren't true love wasn't a reason to break up. Breaking 5 of my ribs... that's a reason to break up. But not us not being true love." Evie takes a deep breath. "Okay, so you have evidence of my mother helping you, and your cousin Sharona. What other information do you have that you think would help with your deal?" Evie needs to get them back on track.

"It was a coalition really. Of villains that you wronged in your life. Or at least some of them. And I have all the evidence you could ever need of the whole plan. It was your mother, the Sheriff of Nottingham, Captain Hook, and Mother Gothel." Doug's lawyer nods towards to guards who start handing out file folders he had previously provided with the evidence, the paper trail of the conspiracy to hurt her.

"As you all can see, this was not one man taking revenge on an ex-girlfriend who embarrassed him. He was merely the weapon, the tool that this group of villains used to cause the most damage. It wasn't personal against her." The lawyer realized he misspoke about half a second after the sentence was finished.

Evie stands, slowly, to show her absolute contempt for what was just said. "Not personal against me. I am not sure anyone ever really knew what happened, aside from me and Doug of course. So let me educate you. Doug and I hadn't been broken up when he attacked me. He showed up to my castle for our usual movie night. Every Thursday night. He didn't knock, there was no reason for him to. He was my boyfriend, we had been dating for two years, we were serious. I trusted him. He was furious. I didn't know why. The first punch... it took me by surprise. Punched me in the gut with more force than I knew he even was capable of. He told me that he needed to make sure that I wasn't pregnant before he really got started. Now, I am not easy to attack, I grew up on the Isle, learned how to fight with a sword as soon as I could walk. We learned to fight, and we learned how to fight dirty. Plus, I have magic here, he never should have stood a chance. But I remember every blow, every punch, every stab, every kick. I remember the potion he threw at me that kept me from being able to move, paralyzed but fully aware of what he was doing to me. I was unconscious for days in the hospital. When I finally came to... he was sitting beside my bed. He really thought I was going to play along with this idea that it was some mystery attacker. Or maybe he thought he hit my head enough that I wouldn't remember that it was him that nearly killed me. But I remembered. I was so groggy, coming out of that coma... and the first thing I saw was the face of the man that tried to kill me, that took my trust, and my love and destroyed it. So you don't get to tell me it wasn't personal. Now, is he going to get a deal? Probably. And that hurts me deeply, but I get it. I am a Princess first, and a person second. And your client has information that is more important than throwing away the key. I understand that. But you don't get to say that it wasn't personal. Am I understood?" Evie stares down the lawyer.

"Of course, Princess. My apologies." Evie tunes out for the rest of the meeting. She can't be bothered to hear the specifics of his deal, or the specifics of the plans against her. She just needs the meeting to be over.

As soon as Ben dismisses her, she ends the projection and slumps forward onto the table, waving away the guy's concern.

She just needs a minute.

So, they make sure that she gets it.

Chapter Text

It had been about a week since the meeting with Doug and Evie was adjusting to her new life. It was a little weird for her. She was so careful to keep her two worlds separate for so long and now... they were anything but separate.

The Sons were great. Are great. They have taken seeing her other side in stride. It seems to have endeared her even more to them. Makes her fit in in a way that she hadn't before. They were after all an MC, and she grew up running a gang.

She just got back to Charming, having had a breakfast meeting with Lonnie about increasing security around the prison now that Doug is locked up there. They can't risk him breaking out, or anyone else for that matter. They hadn't finished rounding up the other villains that were plotting against her, but there was a reason they used a proxy anyway.

She walks out of the portal in her closet (yes, the portal is in her closet, where else would she keep it). She smiles when she sees Jax still sleeping in her bed. Evie quietly removes her tiara and other jewelry before climbing into bed with him. She slips into his arms and kisses his bare chest softly before closing her eyes.

"Mhmm... Morning Babe." Jax pulls her closer and kisses her quickly. "You left pretty early... everything okay?"

"Breakfast meeting about security. no big deal." Evie smiles and kisses him again. "We are having a ball at the end of the week, so I have about a billion gowns to make."

"A ball? Why? Also, that feels like an exaggeration of the number of dresses." Jax laughs and sits up, running his hands over his face, getting ready to start his day.

"I don't know why. Probably because they haven't held a ball in at least two weeks and the princesses don't know what to do with themselves? Also yeah, it's actually only about twenty dresses. And a cape for Chad." Evie rolls off the bed, smiling.

"I'm sorry... did you say a cape for a guy named Chad?" Jax can't help but roll his eyes.

"Cinderella's son. Prince Charming. And a total dick. Unfortunately, he grew up with Ben and therefore gets invited to everything." Evie grabs her design book off her makeup table.

"I have so many thoughts. But I have to get to the shop. I have to open today. You gonna come by later today?" Jax grabs clothes out of his drawer before heading to the bathroom to shower, leaving the door open so they can continue to talk.

"I'm not sure. Probably not. I'm gonna be working in overdrive to get all the dresses done in time for the ball. Thankfully I have everyone's measurements already." Evie starts putting Post-it notes on different pages to indicate who she is going to make each dress for.

"I'll have the prospect bring you some lunch then." Jax steps out of the bathroom, a towel slung low on her hips, causing Evie to bite her lip.

"I'll try and poke my head out from the fabrics after dinner and come by the clubhouse." She shouldn't, she has a lot of work to do, but she doesn't want to disappoint him.

"I'll see you then. Bye, Babe." Jax finishes getting dressed and kisses her quickly before heading out.

Evie smiles at his retreating back before making herself a coffee and heading into her studio to start making ballgowns, starting with hers.

Because she has to attend a ball in a week... what are the chances Jax will escort her?

Chapter Text

Jax glares at the offending clothes that are on the bed. “Babe, you’re joking right? You want me in a monkey suit? Come on now.”

“Jax. This is hardly a monkey suit, it’s literally leather and full of random zippers. It’s the Isle’s version of a suit… plus you didn’t even see the back of the jacket.” Evie is still in her robe, but working on her hair and makeup for the ball.

“The back of the jacket.. what?” Jax takes a moment to turn over the jacket before smiling softly. “Babe… you know I can actually go a couple of hours without wearing the Reaper right?” As much as Jax is not looking forward to this ball, he was going to support Evie, to show her that she can exist in both worlds.

“I know, but I also want you to know I accept you fully, all the parts of you. Mal learned the hard way many years ago that we can’t suppress parts of us just because we think they are too rough for Auradon. So I made sure that your suit represents you… as much as a formal suit can represent you.” Evie kisses his cheek before walking into her closet to grab her ballgown. She went a little more Isle for herself as well than she normally does. She wanted to show off how compatible her and Jax were, even if that meant wearing a little more leather, a little less tulle.

“How much am I going to hate this party?” Jax starts getting changed, surprised at how comfortable the clothes actually are - he always expected formal clothing to be incredibly uncomfortable, but he could actually see himself wearing these - not around the guys because they would never let him live it down but just in general.

“I mean it’s no SAMCRO party but it’s also not nearly as stuffy as you are likely picturing. Once the younger generation took over, not just Ben but the whole lot of us, these balls became more just a chance to have a fun time with our friends. It was the parents that wanted all the frills and everything. So yes, we still dress up, eat incredibly decadent food and there is usually at least one waltz, but after that it’s just a fairly regular party.” Evie slips into her dress and turns around so that he can zip it up for her.

“You look gorgeous by the way, I’ll suffer the suit if it means you look like this.” Jax kisses her and holds out his hand for her, knowing that she will lead them through the portal.

“You look amazing too. Let’s go.” Evie takes his hand and leads him deep into her closet, through the portal into a world he has never seen before.

Chapter Text

Jax… doesn’t quite believe his eyes. He knows logically that Evie is from a place of magic and fairy tales. He knows that she has magic and is a princess, or queen or whatever it is exactly she is. He knows that she designs suits, and ballgowns and a cape for some douche named Chad.

It is different to see the world before his very eyes. Technically there is not anything magical in front of him, but it feels magical to him. And sets him a little on edge.

It probably shouldn’t. And even if there was danger, Evie would know how to handle it. Between her magic, her sword and her just general badassness, he is pretty sure that she is even more badass than Jax. Which just turns him on if he is being honest.

Beside him Evie is… nervous. It is one thing for Jax to see the Council Room from the safety of the clubhouse, it is entirely a different animal all together for him to actually be in Auradon with her, attending a ball thrown by her closest friends.

“Okay. You need to understand that these people… they aren’t like the guys. I mean some of my friends from the Isle can be a little rough and tumbley but the Auradon kids… they are… I honestly can’t even explain them, especially since they are actually more chill now than they were before.” Evie bites her lip as she watches the guards take their places, and her friends walk towards the outside area where the ball is being held, because when Jane planned this ball she decided outside was the right choice.

Does Evie know why they have approximately 42 ballrooms but never seem to hold their balls in any one of them? Of course not.

“Babe. I’m not going to embarrass you okay? I am going to stand here, by your side and look pretty okay? This is your show and I am just your emotional support biker.” Jax kisses her quickly but rough before leading her towards the line of royals being announced.

“Let’s do this. I promised Bobby I’d taste test for him tomorrow so I don’t want to be out too late.” Evie takes her place and nods for the announcer to announce them as she leads them down the stairs to where her friends and family are waiting to mob them.

Which they do the exact moment it is remotely socially appropriate to do so.

Chapter Text

Going to a ball was a surreal experience. But the morning after… that was even weirder. Because there is a difference in Evie. Jax thought he knew all her moods, he saw her in that meeting after all, he really thought he knew all her moods.

But he didn’t. He didn’t know she could look so… Comfortabley Uncomfortable. Because that is the only way to explain how she looked at the party. He knows her. He knows just how uncomfortable she was being at the ball, being surrounded by all those people. But people who don’t know her, don’t know her as well as he does, they would have no idea that she was so uncomfortable. They would think that she was just poised. Because she was very poised and regal.

But she’s also in bed with him right now. Not a stitch of makeup, in sweats and a SAMCRO tshirt, curled up against his chest. It’s such a difference. And he knows he has different faces, different moods. But it is different seeing her swing like that.

Doesn’t scare him off though. It probably should. She is so far out of his league he can’t even see where her league begins, although he got a glimpse last night. But he doesn’t want to let her go. For the first time since Tara, he thinks he actually found his match.

And more importantly there is no guilt associated with her. He thinks about it. He thinks about his relationship with Tara a lot, especially recently. He loved her. There is no doubt about that but that relationship was drenched in… a lot of negativity. There was a certain level of thorns mixed in with the roses of that relationship. It should have ended a lot sooner than it did, and it should have been on their terms.

But there isn’t any of that with Evie. Evie comes from a dark place, she comes from the shadows. He isn’t dragging her into anything, he isn’t smothering her light. It also helps that the club is much more legit than they ever were with Tara but that is neither here nor there.

He’s different too. Evie doesn’t have the expectations on him, she doesn’t expect anything from him. She just wants to be with him, whatever version of him that exists in that moment. The same way that he just wants to be with her, whatever version of her she currently is.

That’s what was missing from his relationship with Tara. Each one was always wishing for a different version of the other. There wasn’t maliciousness about it, it wasn’t out of fear or anger it was just… what it was.

Going back to an old relationship rarely works out when you are no longer the people from that old relationship. Jax grew and matured in a way that Tara couldn’t understand. She never understood the weight of his father’s legacy, the pain of his step-father’s expectations. And likewise Tara grew and matured in a way that was never going to be okay with the club life, no matter how much she wanted to be.

Jax wishes that he could just enjoy this moment with Evie, this quiet morning in bed while she’s sleeping deeply beside him.

But he wants this relationship to work, and that means admitting and resolving to change his past behaviours that caused his old relationships to fail. And if that means thinking about his first real girlfriend, and acknowledging that they held on too long, than that is what he is going to do.

Even here, in this beautiful moment, with his amazing girl curled up on his chest, her blue hair moving with every breath.

Chapter Text

Evie is feeling restless. She doesn’t have a purpose. Not a real one. Not a good one. Not one like she had when she lived in Auradon.

And this doesn’t mean that she wants to move back to Auradon. She doesn’t. Evie is incredibly happy here in Charming, with Jax. But she is also feeling restless.

In Auradon, she had meetings, and policies to deal with, on top of running her country. She was a very busy person in Auradon.

And sure, she still has some meetings, she still is on the council after all but she just feels like she isn’t doing much. She also feels like there are things she should be doing now that she is dating Jax but she doesn’t know how to bring it up.

She doesn’t know how to bring a lot of things up to a lot of people recently.

Which never used to be her problem.

But ever since everything with Doug, when she knew that her friends didn’t believe her, just for that one moment, she feels unsettled. She doesn’t know where she stands, and she doesn’t know what she did to make them not trust her, just for the second.

How can she make sure that doesn’t happen here.

Because she doesn’t want that to happen here. She wants the guys, the club, Jax. She wants them all in her life. And she wouldn’t survive if they walked out, especially if it is something that she did.

She needs to have a conversation with Jax. She’s terrified of having to have the conversation with Jax but she needs to have the conversation.

Because she can’t keep doing this, she can’t keep thinking this way, feeling this way.

This is how she loses her mind. This is how she does something that causes people to walk out of her life. By being an insane person.

Jax is at TM, he promised Bobby to help out at the garage today. When he gets home, they will have the conversation. She will make them dinner, maybe some nice steaks, and salad because she wants them both to live long healthy lives.

She feels better now that she has a plan. She always feels better after she has a plan.

She is going to make sure her new life doesn’t get blown to bits the way her old life was, and the life before that.

She’s determined to succeed.

Chapter Text

Evie is having a bad day. It happens of course, but this bad day is different than any other bad day she has had.

Because what she didn’t know is that when you feel comfortable, when you feel safe, the little things sometimes feel like big things.

She apparently never felt safe, not even in Auradon. Because the little things never felt like big things.

This morning started out great. Jax stayed over, not that this was anything new. But he stayed over and when they woke up, they had a nice lazy breakfast together before he went to work. It felt.. domestic. It felt like something she was okay with doing for the rest of her life.

Which is insane to her. This idea that she could be happy in a small town, cooking for the guys, living the quiet life… it was incomprehensible to her.

Which is why she is sitting on the floor of her bedroom… sobbing. For hours.

Jax comes home after an entire day at the shop to find her curled up on the floor, leaning against her bed, no longer crying but the tear tracks very clear on her face.

“Babe, babe what happened? Are you okay?” Jax rushes over and kisses the top of her head, checking her over for any injuries.

“I’m fine, I’m okay, this is dumb. I just… got overwhelmed for a moment.” Evie tries to stand up, put her little breakdown behind her but Jax won’t let her.

“Hey, no. Evie we aren’t doing that. If something has bothered you enough to have you sitting here crying, we are going to talk about it. I don’t care how dumb you think it is.” Jax was emotionally constipated as a teenager, and even in his early 20s but he has learned from his mistakes. And he won’t lose Evie the way he lost Tara, even if that means talking about his feelings, or her feelings for that matter.

“You are going to laugh at me. I swear.” Evie wipes her eyes and adjusts how she is sitting so that she can curl up against him.

“I’ll do my best not to.” Jax kisses the top of her head again.

“My pants don’t fit.” Evie pouts at him.

“Your… pants don’t fit.” It takes everything in him not to start laughing at that sentence, especially mixed with the look on her face but he really tried… he did in fact fail.

“See… I told you it’s dumb.” Evie pouts even more.

“No babe, I’m sorry. It’s just… you know you are hot as fuck right?” Jax isn’t sure why this is a big deal.

“It’s not a self image issue Jax. It was bigger than that, and smaller than that. It’s complicated okay.” Evie crosses her arms and glares at him.

“Try and explain it to me?” Jax kisses the top of her head again.

“This happened when I first moved to Auradon. I gained weight because I was finally somewhere where I had decent food, and decent access to said decent food. I didn’t realize until my pants didn’t fit that I had lost so much weight during my relationship with Doug. I never really paid attention to my own measurements. My dress was always the last one I did, it was usually a rush job. Same with my everyday clothes, I throw them together usually half asleep, because my clothing line took a ton of time, even ignoring all the other things I had to do. So I never noticed. But I went to get dressed this morning and I couldn’t pull on my pants… so I… lost it I guess?” Evie closes her eyes and curls up against his chest, settled when she can hear his heartbeat.

“So it’s a good thing the pants don’t fit? It means you are healthy? Because if it means you are healthy I think that it’s a great thing. And I’ll buy you all the pants you want if it means you stay healthy.” Jax kisses her, before picking her up and tucking her into the bed. When Evie started to make sounds of protest Jax kissed her again. “I’m just going to make sure the house is locked up and then bring you a snack, I have a feeling you haven’t eaten since breakfast.” Jax triple checks that the house is locked, grabbing Evie’s favourite protein filled snack and curled up in bed with her.

It’s been a long ass day.