Author's Note: I am so, so sorry that I took so long to update this story. What with the holidays, and taking some time away from writing to recharge, and then getting caught back up, by the time I got back to this story, well...even I was surprised that its been three months. To make up for it, I'm obviously updating with this chapter, and I'm gonna post another in the next few days (I'm already working on it). I felt this chapter should be a little light since the next one's gonna have some drama.

Once again, so sorry and please enjoy...

Part 15

Mal was laying on her bed after her classes were done, her History of Auradon textbook in front of her. She was reading through the page she had it opened to, and then realized that reading was the wrong word. It was more like she was staring at the page, trying to muster up the initiative to start reading. How does Evie make studying look so easy, she thought. She tried one more time to start studying, realizing that she needed to if she wanted to pass this Friday's test.

As she found her mind beginning to wander once again, there was a knock on her dorm room door. Placing her notebook on the page so she didn't lose her place, she got up and went to answer it. She was pleasantly surprised to see Snow White standing on the other side of the door.

"Your Majesty," Mal said out of instinct, as well as giving a curtsy.

"You don't have to do that, Mal," Snow said as reached over and gave the purple haired girl a hug. "And don't bother with the 'Your Majesty' thing when it's just the two of us, Snow is fine."

Mal nodded and moved to let the young queen in. Snow looked around and saw that Mal was alone.

"Evie's not here?" she asked, a little disappointed.

"With Doug." Snow looked at Mal blankly for a second. "Her boyfriend. Those times you and her were alone up there, she never mentioned him?"

"Surprisingly no," Snow answered. "Mostly we talked about Mom," she revealed. "We wanted to compare upbringings."

"Did you at least know she had a boyfriend?" Snow nodded. "Well then, this isn't gonna be as awkward as I thought," Mal said as she went to her bed and put away her History book. "Come on, I know where they like to go when they want to be alone to study," Mal informed her, using air quotes when she said study.

"Oh Lord," Snow giggled as she followed Mal out.

Part 16

A few minutes later the two of them were nearing the outer edge of the campus, out where the grounds started meeting the woods at the school's rear border. At this time of day, the grounds were still kind of empty. Dinner wasn't being served yet so other students hadn't made their way out here, so Doug and Evie often found themselves alone for a little while every day. Because of the perceived predictability, neither one was paying attention to their surroundings and didn't notice that they were about to have unexpected guests.

"Well that certainly is unexpected," Snow said in mild surprise. As they neared the spot where Doug and Evie had gone, they noticed the two of them on top of a blanket they had laid on the ground. Their bags and school books were scattered around them, but not seeing very much use. She stifled a giggle at the sight of Evie and Doug laying on their sides, holding each other, and making out.

"So this is how you study?" Snow asked playfully once she and Mal eye were within earshot of the distracted couple.

Immediately Doug and Evie broke apart, both of them bolting upright into sitting positions. Doug grabbed his glasses and shoved them onto his blushing face. He looked up and smiled awkwardly at Snow and Mal. Evie ran her fingers through her hair, fanning and smoothing it out since Doug had been running his fingers through it. She also smoothed out her blouse, but tried not to look up since she her face was far too red at the moment.

"Um…h-hi Snow," Doug stuttered, feeling for his bow tie, making sure it was straight.

"Doug," Snow smiled at him. "Evie," she said in restrained glee.

"Hi, Snow," Evie said, finally feeling like enough heat had left her cheeks that she wouldn't be as red as Snow's lips. "I…I can explain," she began.

Snow held up a finger causing Evie to immediately stop. She turned toward Mal, a knowing smile on her face.

"You know, Doug's mother mentioned to me that he had a new girlfriend."

"Really?" Mal replied in mock surprise.

Snow nodded her head, a massive smile on her face. "She said this girl was beautiful, so much so, she didn't have the words to describe her. But more than that, that this girlfriend was one of the sweetest people she'd ever met."

"Aww, Evie, Doug's Mom likes you," Mal said.

"Likes? Try loves, she can't stop talking about you," Snow added. Doug smiled happily, but Evie was still a little embarrassed.

"Oh my God, you are having way too much fun with this," Evie groaned.

"I am," Snow admitted. "I kept trying to get her to tell me who this girl was, but she kept saying I'll meet her eventually. I just thought that meant that Doug would bring her around, not that I'd be the one to set up my own meeting."

"Look, Snow, I should've told you, but we were just starting to get to –"

"Sweetie, are you under the impression that I'm angry or in some other way upset?" Snow interrupted her. Evie just stared up at her, not sure if she should say or nod yes. "Evie, I think you two look adorable together."

Evie let out a sigh of relief. After feeling herself calm down a little she finally stood up, Doug joining her seconds later. She and Snow shared a quick hug, and then smiled as she saw Snow give Doug one as well. She always knew that Doug and Snow probably knew each other. After all, other than Florian and Raymond, the dwarves were probably the closest thing she had to family.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but –" Evie began.

"What am I doing here?" Snow finished for her. Evie nodded. "Why don't we sit down?"

"Do you two need to…?" Mal asked, pointing in the other direction. Doug nodded, willing to give the two sisters their privacy.

"No, it's okay," Snow replied. "This is something you can hear." All four of them took a seat at one of the picnic tables, Snow and Evie sitting across from each other, with Doug next to Evie and Mal beside Snow. "Mom is back on the Isle, and the law states that since you're a minor, someone has to be in charge of you."

"I know, that was explained when we were brought over," Evie said.

"But you see, all of you have the same guardian."

"Beast and Belle," Mal cut in.

Snow nodded. "But I recently asked for guardianship of you to be given to me," she told Evie. Evie's mouth dropped at the same time her eyes widened. She was so focused on Snow that she didn't notice Mal and Doug practically smiling from ear to ear.

"You can do that?" Evie asked softly. Snow nodded. "And…and did you…?"

"Uh-huh," Snow smiled.

"And they just gave you guardianship of Evie, just like that?" Mal asked.

"Not exactly, I had to get permission."

"Permission?" Evie asked.

"From Mom," she answered.

"You talked to Mom?" Evie asked in shock. Snow nodded. "And she talked to you?"

"Yes, why does everyone act like that's such a huge surprise?" she asked in annoyance.

"Because the Evil Queen hates you," Mal and Doug said together.

"Because Mom hates you," Evie said at the same time.

Snow almost started to laugh at their response. Then she felt a little bit of sadness at the realization that her relationship with her mother was so easily and so freely commented on by everyone, and that for everyone, it boiled down to one simple emotion – hate.

"Well there may be some…less than acrimonious feelings on her end, but she does love you," Snow said to Evie, bringing a smile to the young bluenette's face. "And given some time to think about it, she also thought it best that your guardianship be given to family."

"So you're my guardian now?" Evie asked, her voice betraying the fact that she was still trying to process the conversation.

"Mm-hm. Well, me and Florian. Is that okay?"

Evie was silent. Everyone at the table became concerned. Evie was usually easy to read, but then that was usually during situations she was used to finding herself in. This situation was entirely new territory. Finally, after seconds that felt like agonizing moments, she spoke up.

"Yes," she answered, her voice just above a whisper. "It's…it's really great," she confirmed, a smile starting to form. Mal and Doug breathed sighs of relief at Evie's reaction. Snow practically felt a weight that had been gathering on her in the last few minutes immediately lift off her. "So what happens now?"

"Things won't change too much," Snow told her. "You'll still go to school, hang out with your friends – your boyfriend," she smiled, casing Evie to smile and blush. "But if something happens that needs a parent to be called or step in, I'll be the one who comes running."

"I still can't believe Mom agreed to that," Evie told her.

Snow reached over and took Evie's hands in her own. "Sweetie, you may not realize it, but you are the one thing that makes Mom remember what it's like to be a mother."

"So no pressure, huh?" Mal cut in, her voice dripping with snark.

"How long are you here for?" Doug asked as he saw students starting to fill to come out into the grounds. Dinnertime, he thought.

"Just today. Florian and I had some business to take of, namely the signing over of guardianship. We head back tomorrow morning," she answered. Evie let out an "aww" at the news, hoping to spend some time with her sister. "Until then however, how would you all like to have dinner…off campus?"

All three students immediately nodded and got up to follow Snow out. After a few minutes, Snow turned toward Evie as she walked to the right of her, Doug next to Evie, the two of them holding hands. "So tell me Evie, that project that won't let you visit this weekend; it is real and not just more study time with Doug, right?" she smiled in a playfully wicked way.

"It's real, I swear," Evie told her quickly, hoping she wasn't once again blushing too much despite it being the truth.