Pandora stared at her reflection as she waited patiently, feeling Evie's expert fingers put the finishing touches on her hair. She'd already done her makeup, leaving it simple and natural-looking, yet her blue eyes popped.
"There. Done." Evie announced before holding up a small mirror so Pandora could see the back of her head. Her hair, which was still several different shades of blue, was woven into a beautifully-complex braid with a headband of small white flowers and bright green leaves.
"Wow, Evie." Mal commented, coming up behind Pandora at Evie's side. "You've outdone yourself again."
"I know." Evie smiled proudly.
"You really have, Evie. It's beautiful. Thank you." Pandora agreed warmly.
"Happy to do it." Evie assured her. "Now, let's get you into your dress."
"Which you outdid yourself on, as well." Mal teased lightly, since Evie also designed the dress.
Evie lead Pandora to the small bathroom attached to the bedroom they were all in. Inside, she changed into the beautiful white dress that hung from the door.
The beautiful, white wedding dress.
With a smile that was equal parts excited and nervous, Pandora changed out of her bathrobe and into the wedding dress Evie had designed just for today. When she stepped back out of the bathroom, Evie lead her over to the full-body mirror across the room.
It was a beautiful, white, Greek-style dress. It had one shoulder strap over her shoulder, which was held together by a gold serpent pendant. She also had a gold belt designed to look like a vine wrapped around her waist. Then the long skirt flowed down to the ground, intricate vine patterns woven into the train.
The bridesmaid dresses Evie designed were very similar, yet unique. They were all long, Greek style dresses in varying shades of blue. Mal's was a blue-purple in color with a deep v-neckline, and a gold belt that resembled a dragon. Pavati's was a sea-green color, and Evie's a royal blue. Jane's was a light blue that matched her eyes, with a loose, flowing bodice that hid the small baby bump she was sporting.
"You look beautiful!" Evie beamed. Mal, Pavati, and Jane sitting around the room all nodded, smiling widely in agreement. All conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Mal, being closest, answered the door and smiled before letting the person inside.
The blue flames atop Hades' head were brighter than ever, and he was dressed in a black tux with blue flames on the back of the jacket. He smiled at Mal before turning to smile at his oldest child.
"You know, it's not too late to change your mind." were the first words out of his mouth.
"Dad." Pandora scolded lightly, though she knew he was joking.
"I know, I know. I'm kidding." Hades assured her. "You look beautiful."
Pandora blushed lightly, her hands going down to smooth out the skirt of her dress self-consciously. "Thanks, Dad."
"Is everything ready?" Evie asked.
Hades nodded. "Yep. All the guests are seated and everyone's ready whenever you girls are."
"Well, let's get out there, then." Mal decided, passing Pandora's bouquet to her. It was a blue and white bouquet of calla lilies and carnations. Mal, Evie, Pavati, and Jane had smaller bouquets of the same flowers, but with more blue and less white, and they had a couple small sprigs of mistletoe with white berries that were almost unnoticeable. A sort of inside joke between the bride and groom that no one else seemed to understand, since this was a summer wedding, not winter.
Mal lead the way out of the room, Evie stopping briefly to mess with a couple small curls around Pandora's face before Jane practically dragged her out. Hades chuckled before offering his arm to Pandora, who took it and allowed him to lead her from the room.
They passed through the large house, Zeus's house up on the peak of Mount Olympus. They stepped outside and crossed part of the large lawn until they stopped with the other girls out of sight of the guests. When they stopped, Evie checked once more that they were all ready before peaking around the corner of the building, giving Doug a signal. A moment later, the sound of a quiet guitar tune came floating on the air. Mal gave Pandora a small smile before stepping around the corner and disappearing.
Jane counted quietly along with the music before waving Pavati to follow Mal. She then did the same thing for Evie.
Meanwhile, Hades glanced down at his daughter, who was taking deep breaths and trying not to panic. Hades lightly squeezed the hand she was gripping his arm with to gain her attention.
"You'll be fine." Hades assured her. "I would have stopped this wedding a long time ago if I didn't trust this guy with my little girl."
Pandora's lips twitched with a small smile. "As if I would've let you." she joked quietly.
Hades glanced up as Jane took her turn to walk down the isle before looking back down at his daughter.
"You ready?" he asked quietly.
Pandora straightened her shoulders and nodded firmly. "Yes. I'm ready." She then leaned up quickly to kiss her father's cheek, making him grin.
Finally, he lead her around the corner to reveal the beautiful scene they'd prepared for the wedding ceremony.
The lawn stretched out across from them with fresh green grass. It was covered in white folded chairs, on which seated many of their friends and family members. And at the very front was a round, open stone structure on a few steps with columns holding up the roof. Between two columns stood Fairy Godmother, ready to officiate the wedding. At the base of the steps on one side were Carlos, Herkie, Ben, and Hadie, Pandora and Mal's younger half-brother. Standing across from them were Mal, Pavati, Evie, and finally Jane was just joining them. And off to the side, playing guitar, was Doug.
And stood in the center, a couple steps above the bridesmaids and groomsmen and a couple steps below Fairy Godmother, stood Pandora's soon-to-be husband.
Jay.
Maybe she was biased, but he might have looked the most handsome he'd ever looked. He was wearing a dark navy suit over a white dress shirt. His long hair had been trimmed a few inches, falling just below his shoulders, and half of it was pulled back into a mini ponytail. He was always handsome, but when their eyes met from across the long isle, and his smile widened as he looked her over, she was momentarily taken back in time.
Flashback
Their laughter echoed in the quiet, dark forest as Jay stumbled over yet another tree root that was hidden by the snow.
"Maybe this was a bad idea." Jay laughed as Pandora grabbed his arm to keep him upright.
"It was your bad idea." she reminded him playfully, making him lightly shove her shoulder. She complained that he almost made her spill her to-go cup of hot chocolate.
It was early winter and one of the first snowfalls of their first year as college students. It had also been the first ROAR match for Sherwood Forest University of the year, and Jay's first ROAR match as a college student. And of course, they dominated the competition. The team and several friends went out to celebrate with pizza, and afterwards Jay suggested they grab some hot chocolate and go for a short hike in the nearby woods, just the two of them.
"So, how'd you do on that psychology test?" Jay asked curiously after their laughter died down. "You got the grade back today, right?"
"Oh, I got 100%" Pandora answered proudly.
"Seriously?" Jay asked incredulously. "How do you remember all that stuff?" he'd glanced through her psychology textbook a few weeks back and didn't understand any of it.
Pandora shrugged after taking a sip of her warm drink, her eyes taking in the snowy trees. "I don't know. I think it's all fascinating."
Jay shook his head, grinning slightly in amusement. "Well, congratulations."
"Thanks." Pandora grinned in return before she paused. Then, she changed her course slightly and wandered away to approach a specific oak tree. Jay watched her for a moment before following her. She was staring up at a mostly bare branch on an oak tree that hung just above her head. There was a clump about the size of an average pumpkin of small green leaves on the end of the branch. It was really the only thing green in the forest right now.
"Those aren't oak leaves, are they?" Jay asked curiously. He was pretty sure they weren't, but he thought he'd check.
Pandora shook her head. "No, definitely not. But I don't know what it is." she admitted. "I've never seen this plant before. It must not be something the grows in Mount Olympus." She paused for a moment before reaching up and touching her fingers lightly to the leaves. She closed her eyes and once again allowed some of her life force to flow into the mysterious plant.
When her eyes opened it was to see familiar white berries growing from the clump of leaves. Berries that were commonplace at Christmas parties.
"Mistletoe." Pandora breathed, her eyes unintentionally moving to look from the plant to her companion.
Jay did the same, his dark brown eyes meeting her blue ones. Snowflakes sprinkled Jay's long hair, and his nose and cheeks were slightly flushed from the crisp wind.
Suddenly, a warm, calloused hand was on Pandora's cheek, causing her eyes to drift close as warm lips met hers.
End of Flashback
Pandora's smile widened slightly at the memory of their first kiss, trying to stifle it slightly at the feel of dozens of eyes fixed on her as she followed her father down the isle. When they reached the base of the steps, Hades kissed Pandora's cheek before shaking Jay's hand and then passing Pandora's hand to him. Hades took his seat in the front row next to Persephone, who he'd finally married about four years prior, at which Mal and Pandora had been bridesmaids.
Pandora passed her bouquet to Mal as Jay helped her up a couple steps until she stood in front of him. They exchanged smiles before turning to Fairy Godmother.
She gave a normal wedding speech, talking about true love and happily-ever-afters. It may be rude, but Pandora mostly tuned her out. She was trying to remember the vows she wanted to say without feeling nauseous at the thought of speaking her heart in front of so many people.
Unfortunately, the time for their vows came sooner rather than later. Fortunately, Jay went first.
Jay seemed to take a deep breath, obviously feeling uncomfortable at the thought of being so vulnerable in front of so many people. Coming from the Isle, it was something he almost never did.
"I'll never be perfect, but I promise that I will continue to grow with you and become the best person I can be, someone worthy of you." Jay started, his dark brown eyes fixed on her blue ones. "We met during one of the craziest adventures of our lives, but where one adventure ends, another one begins. And I can't wait to start this new adventure with you. You represent everything good in life, and not just because of your powers. Everything about you is warm, and fun, and kind. You've dedicated your life to helping people and I will spend our life together helping you however I can and making our life together the best it can be."
Pandora smiled, trying to ignore the quiet sniffles in the crowd while trying not to cry herself.
"I know you gave up being a thief a long time ago, but I always like to think you stole my heart." she joked lightly, earning several chuckles through the crowd, as well as from Jay. "You've seen me at my best, but also at my worst. And I still haven't scared you away yet. You may have started on the Isle, but you've made a life and future for yourself here in Auradon, and you've grown into someone you should be proud of. You've grown into someone I am proud of. Someone I can't wait to build a life with."
"The rings?" Fairy Godmother urged when Pandora finished speaking.
Pandora and Jay looked back up the isle, hearing the familiar clinking sound of dog tags on a collar. Sure enough, Griffin trotted down the isle to them, stopping at the foot of the steps and sitting down. His collar had a small, black bowtie and in his mouth was a small wicker basket with a small blue cushion, atop which sat two rings. Carlos and Mal knelt down by the loyal dog, Carlos petting him and temporarily holding him in place while Mal grabbed the rings from the basket. Once they both stood up, Carlos lead Griffin to sit on the ground at Carlos' feet. Mal reached up and passed the rings to Jay and Pandora.
They repeated after Fairy Godmother as they took turns exchanging rings.
"With this ring, I thee wed." Jay repeated as he slipped the simple wedding band on Pandora's finger until it rested perfectly against the simple sapphire engagement ring with an infinity band.
"With this ring, I thee wed." Pandora repeated as she slipped the slightly larger simple wedding band onto Jay's finger.
"You may now kiss the bride." Fairy Godmother announced cheerfully.
Jay smirked slightly, but considering the crowd watching them he kept the kiss polite. One arm wrapped around Pandora's lower back, his other hand cupping her jaw while her arms went around his neck as they shared their first kiss as husband and wife.
The cheers of their friends and family finally pulled them apart. Well, until Jay decided to pick his wife up and quickly spin her around before putting her back on her feet, causing laughter in the crowd before they faced everyone as a newly-married couple.
Almost the whole one side of the isle was made up of the Olympians, people who saw Pandora grow up from birth. The whole first row of that side was her family; Hades and Persephone by the isle, then Demeter, Zeus and Hera, and Hercules and Meg. Further back were Poseidon and Amphitrite, Amadeus, who brought Audrey, who he'd been dating for a couple years now, Athena, and Aaron with his date, Lonnie.
On the other side of the isle were a huge mix of former Isle residents and Auradon residents. People Jay was friends with at school like Li'l Shang, Aziz, and several of his ROAR and Tourney teammates, Beast and Belle, who was holding her new granddaughter Bellatrix, and Mrs. Potts. People from the Isle like Gil, Uma, and Harry, Freddie and Celia, Dizzy, Squeaky and Squirmy, and people from the Anti-Heroes Club. And standing at the far end of the isle was Jordan, filming and taking photos of the wedding for them.
Fairy Godmother directed the guests to leave in an orderly fashion, heading toward the reception nearby while the wedding party and family got their photos taken. After taking dozens of different photos, they joined the guests at the site of the reception, which was partially on a stretch of grass which turned into a long stretch of beach. Fairy lights were strung from the trees.
Dinner, which was catered by Mrs. Potts, was served near the start of the reception, and people chatted and mingled as they ate. Pandora was soon deep in a conversation with Jane.
"Yeah, one idea I had regarding the animal shelter is maybe hosting an event or two with some of the local schools in the area." Pandora was telling her.
"Yeah, Carlos mentioned something like that." Jane agreed excitedly. "Like having some of the Tourney teams or something take the dogs for walks or jogs in place of their practice time."
"Exactly." Pandora agreed, grinning. "But I also had this other idea that I thought of the other day. I haven't thought of any details. But I was thinking of having some of the kids in our shelters hosting a benefit of some kind to earn donations."
"Like maybe a dinner? Oh, or what about a fair or carnival?!" Jane suggested excitedly.
"That would be so much fun!" Pandora grinned wider in excitement. Carlos, on Jane's other side with a hand resting on her small baby bump, was watching their conversation with amusement.
A few years back Pandora and Carlos had opened a shelter, for both animals and children. Their shared love of animals, combined with Carlos' childhood on the Isle and Pandora's Bachelor's degree in Psychology made it the perfect decision. The fact that the animals and children were in the same shelter actually worked out better than they could have thought. The children were able to help out with the animals, which helped teach them responsibility and it was found to be a form of therapy for many of them. And considering the number of animals in their care, they didn't need as many employees to care for them since the children liked to help so much.
Jane, meanwhile, had started a very successful event planning business. Not only was she one of Pandora's bridesmaids, she'd played a huge part in planning the wedding, working well with Mal as Matron of Honor, Evie, who had designed all the outfits, and Demeter as the florist.
The girls' eager planning, however, was interrupted by Jay wrapping his arm around his wife's shoulder and leaning in to whisper into her ear. "Didn't we agree no work at the wedding?" he joked quietly.
Pandora and Jane both looked down sheepishly as their husbands laughed. "Sorry." they chorused. Pandora glanced around and noticed that Mal had moved further down the wedding party's table to sit with Hadie on the end. Standing, Pandora kissed Jay on the cheek before moving further down and sitting on her 22 year old brother's other side. She watched as he managed to conjure some blue-gray smoke in the palm of his hand. When it disappeared a few moments later a quarter was in his palm. He beamed widely, glancing from Mal to Pandora.
"Perfect." Mal encouraged him, smiling proudly. "You're getting better."
It had been discovered a few years back that not all of Mal's powers were from Maleficent. She was able to brew potions, which Maleficent had never really been able to do. That was something she got from Hades, as had Hadie. Well, Hadie got it from both parents. Not only that, both Mal and Hadie were able to control smoke and use it to teleport not only objects but themselves, another power they inherited from their father. Obviously the smoke Mal produced also turned her into a dragon, which she inherited from her mother. And Mal's smoke was purple while Hadie's was gray like their father's.
They'd officially met Hadie when he came over from the Isle after the barrier came down. It had been a long, bumpy road, especially between Hadie and their father, but now they all had a true sibling relationship. Pandora had even become friends with Hadie's other half-sister, Yzla, who was friends with Mal and Jay through the Anti-Heroes Club. But not her brother Zevon. He was a bit of a douche bag.
"I've got one for you to try." Pandora suggested, smirking slightly. She leaned in and whispered her suggestion into Hadie's ear. He snorted slightly before holding out his hand, palm up again. A puff of gray smoke appeared, swirling around in his palm for a few moments. When it disappeared the quarter was gone and in it's place was Jay's wedding ring.
Mal snorted, and the three siblings tried to stifle their laughter as Pandora took the ring from Hadie to avoid him getting in trouble. Their laughter was interrupted by hands landing suddenly on her shoulders.
"I saw that." Jay announced lightly. One of his hands appeared in front of Pandora's face, palm up expectantly. "You can't steal from a former thief and expect it to go unnoticed."
Their laughter renewed, Pandora handed Jay back his wedding ring, leaning back slightly against his chest as he put it back on.
"Hey, hey, hey! Can I have your attention?!" Hermes called out over the microphone from the small DJ booth near the beach. "It's that time, ladies and gentlemen! The bride and groom's first dance."
"That's our cue." Jay announced, offering his hand once more, this time to help Pandora stand up and lead her to the open space that was the dance floor. Jay held her close as 'I See the Light' started playing from the DJ booth.
When picking songs, Pandora had asked Jay if they should have their first dance be to 'A Whole New World', partially because she felt she could relate it to their relationship, especially the beginning. But they eventually decided against it considering that was Aladdin and Jasmine's song, and some might consider it weird for Jafar's son to dance with his wife to Aladdin's song. So, they chose 'I See the Light', which Pandora actually preferred after listening to it a few times throughout the decision-making process. She felt it fit their relationship similarly to the other song; better in a few ways.
"So," Pandora spoke quietly as Jay lead her slowly around the dance floor, "this whole wedding ordeal isn't too horrible, is it?" she teased.
"I never said horrible." Jay argued quietly. "I never said anything against having a wedding."
"Uh huh." Pandora agreed sarcastically. "You just thought pizza was okay to serve for dinner at the wedding, and you wanted to wear ripped jeans and your beanie, and-"
"Okay, okay." Jay cut in, laughing. "I get it. But I was never against anything specifically. Those were just suggestions."
"Bad suggestions." Pandora teased. She'd made it clear that she wanted Jay's input on everything regarding their wedding, but Evie had practically been scandalized when Jay mentioned wearing a beanie at the wedding. She threatened to chop off Jay's hair if he tried it.
"Hey, the chocolate fountain was a good suggestion." Jay argued, smirking.
"It was." Pandora agreed. "But I was worried when Evie had to warn you and Carlos against eating straight out of the fountain."
Jay tried to smother his grin, but he failed miserably.
After a few moments of dancing to the song, during which Pandora had stepped closer and rested her chin on Jay's shoulder, Pandora spoke softly, "So, what's the plan after this?"
"What do you mean?" Jay asked quietly.
"I don't know,…I mean, we're married now, then we've got our honeymoon,…then what? We work and continue our life?"
Jay hummed quietly. "Maybe for a bit?" he suggested quietly. "Until it's sunk in that we're actually married. And then,…who knows? Maybe we'll be on to our next adventure."
"And what adventure is that?" Pandora asked curiously.
Jay didn't answer right away, but just as he was about to the music faded to an end and Hades stepped onto the dance floor as the opening chords of the next song began.
"Mind if I cut in?" Hades smirked.
Jay grinned, releasing Pandora to her father. Before taking Pandora's hands, he shook Jay's hand.
"You better take care of my daughter." Hades ordered sternly, to which Jay nodded.
Pandora rolled her eyes as her father lead her a few feet away while Mal joined Jay on the dance floor. Jay had never reconnected with his mother, so Pandora had been unsure about having a father-daughter dance when Jay didn't have the equivalent. Then Mal suggested a sort of brother-sister dance, and they could have both dances during the same song, 'You'll be in My Heart'. Pandora had loved the idea, especially since Jay's friends were the only family he had at the wedding. His mother wanted nothing to do with him, and the feeling was mutual, and Jafar had only tried to contact Jay a couple times since being released from the Isle. Neither time had ended well, and eventually Jafar was arrested and thrown in a prison in Auradon for trying and failing to assassinate Aladdin and Jasmine.
"Was that really necessary?" Pandora asked as Hades lead her around the dance floor.
"He's marrying my daughter. Of course it was necessary." Hades answered as if it was obvious. "I did the same when Mal married Beasty Jr."
Pandora snorted. Poor Ben had nearly wet himself when Hades threatened him against ever harming Mal or making her cry. She felt bad for the poor King, but at the same time it was amusing how flustered Hades made him. She had a feeling that, as much as Hades liked Ben now, he always liked Jay a little bit more. Likely because he came from the Isle and he wasn't as easily intimidated.
"Ben isn't that bad." Pandora chided her father. "Mal loves him. And he gave you your first granddaughter."
Hades narrowed his eyes slightly. "Yes, and I love my little Trixie." he agreed, using the little nickname he'd given Bellatrix. "But you aren't implying anything, are you?" he asked suspiciously.
Pandora blinked, looking at him in confusion.
"You're not, you know, giving me another grandchild already,…are you?"
"Oh, no, Dad, what is wrong with you? You think this is how I'd tell you?" Pandora wrinkled her nose at him.
"I'd hope not, but I just wanted to be sure." Hades answered, relaxing slightly.
"And what would you do if I said I was?" Pandora asked curiously.
"Well, for starters, you'd be a widow by now,-" Hades started, only for Pandora to lightly smack his shoulder. "Relax, I'm kidding." he laughed.
"I'm not pregnant. I can't believe we're having this conversation." Pandora shook her head at him.
When the song ended, Herkie cut in and Pandora danced with him for a song, she also danced with Carlos, Aaron, and Gil before retiring to a chair. She volunteered to hold baby Bellatrix so Belle, Mal, and Persephone, who were all watching the baby for the past few hours, could have some fun.
She sat at a table with Evie, Pavati, and Lonnie, talking and laughing as they watched a red-faced Hadie dance with Dizzy, who Pandora and Evie had been trying to set up for the past year. While watching the dancing couples out on the dance floor, they were catching up on what the other girls were up to.
Pavati got her Master's degree in Marine Biology last year and had just started her new job a few months ago. She'd recently begun working closely with Princess Attina of Atlantica to research the migration patterns of sea turtles. Lonnie and Aaron, who'd been dating for a few years now, were both professional ROAR players for Northern Wei. Aaron had graduated from college in Northern Wei a few years ago where he played ROAR for college before going pro. He also earned a Bachelors degree in history for whenever he decided to stop playing ROAR professionally. Pandora had a feeling that would happen sometime after he and Lonnie got married, probably in the next few years. She was one of the few people who new Aaron had an engagement ring ready and waiting for the right moment.
Jay walked up behind Pandora's chair, interrupting the girls' talk and kissing the top of Bellatrix's head.
"Hey, it's about time to wind down." Jay announced. "So, you wanna do that flower thing so we can get going?"
Pandora smirked slightly up at him while the girls laughed at his 'flower thing' comment. He was talking about the bouquet toss.
"Sure, we can do that," Pandora agreed, reaching up with one hand to swipe her thumb over Jay's cheek, "but you might want to wash your face a bit first. You missed some frosting."
Jay swiped his hand over his face. "Well, whose fault was that?" he asked rhetorically.
When they did the cake cutting about half an hour ago, Jay had decided to be nice and not shove the slice into his new wife's face. Pandora hadn't been nearly as kind.
"Yours, of course." Pandora joked, offering him a napkin as she stood up. Mal joined them and took a sleeping Bellatrix from her sister before handing her the bouquet.
Hermes announced it was time for the bouquet toss and called all the single ladies to gather.
Pandora glanced over her shoulder, where her back was facing the crowd. She noticed Audrey had practically shoved her way to the front of the crowd, but her focus was more to the right. Lonnie didn't seem particularly interested in catching the bouquet, Pavati and Uma subtly standing just slightly behind her on either side. Pandora fought a smirk and turned to face forward. She waited a moment before tossing the bouquet over her shoulder. There were squeals and chatters and then cheering as someone caught the bouquet. Turning around, Pandora smirked when she saw a shell-shocked Lonnie holding the bouquet, Pavati and Uma bumping fists behind her. Pandora let her eyes travel to where the men were standing and saw Aaron narrowing his eyes good-naturedly at her, while getting nudged and patted on the back by Carlos, Herkie, and Amadeus. Aaron knew that was no accident.
She knew that Amadeus planned to propose to Audrey sometime within the month, so she didn't think Audrey needed the added hint of catching the bouquet. Lonnie, though, Pandora and a few others thought it would be funny if she caught the bouquet. Partially because she would never guess that Aaron planned to propose.
With the bouquet toss out of the way, everyone gathered and prepared for the bride and groom's departure. The couple said goodbye to their friends and family, Pandora hugging Griffin, who would be staying with Carlos, Jane, and Dude for the next week. Then, Jay lead Pandora down the path made by the guests, who tossed dried flower petals at them. Jay then helped Pandora up into the carriage that was being pulled by Pegasus and Phoebe. With one last wave to their friends and family, Jay and Pandora flew off to spend a week-long honeymoon in Neverland.
Ever since that memorable summer when Mal opened the barrier for good; Jay, Pandora, and some of their friends made an effort to travel and take trips to various places over the years. They'd gone deep-sea diving, hiking in some of the woods, mountain climbing. They went to a dragon parade in Northern Wei, a lantern festival in Corona, and Mardi Gras in the Bayou.
And now, Pandora and Jay would be spending the next week in Neverland, swimming in the lagoon, rock climbing, and exploring the jungles.
Jay sighed, sitting back and getting comfortable for the three-hour flight and putting his arm over Pandora's shoulder.
"Finally. A well-deserved vacation." Jay joked, making Pandora laugh and nod. Planning a wedding was certainly stressful, especially on top of them both working full-time jobs. Jay had a bit more free time when the school year ended a few weeks ago, since he worked as Auradon Prep's PE teacher as well as the ROAR coach. Unfortunately, he wasn't that much help in regards to planning a wedding, and most of it was done by that point anyway.
Pandora leaned more into Jay's side as their carriage flew out towards where Neverland was in the sea. After a few minutes of relaxing, comfortable silence, Pandora spoke up.
"So, what's our next adventure?" she asked quietly.
Jay shrugged slightly. "I don't know. Do you have anything in mind?"
"Not really…but you sounded like you did. When we were dancing earlier?" Pandora urged curiously, glancing up at him.
"Oh, right." Jay nodded. "I mean, I had a few ideas." he admitted as if it was no big deal.
"Like…maybe a family? Kids?" Pandora suggested.
Jay glanced away slightly, out the window. "I've thought about it." he admitted after a few moments.
Worried by his change in demeanor, Pandora sat up more and turned to face him. "Jay, what's wrong?" she asked seriously.
Jay turned and looked at her from the corner of his eye. He was silent for several moments before he spoke.
"I work with kids. I like helping kids. And I know, to an extent, that I'm good with kids." he finally admitted.
Pandora nodded. "Yeah, you are. So, what's the problem? What's wrong?"
Jay sighed, raking his hands through his long hair, accidentally pulling a few chunks from the mini ponytail it was in.
"What if I'm not a good father?"
Pandora stared for a few moments, almost too shell-shocked by the absurdity of the question to respond at first. After a few moments, she scooted closer and clasped one of his hands between hers.
"Our parents don't define us." Pandora reminded him quietly. "That's what you, Mal, and the others have been fighting to prove for the past decade. You are not Jafar." she added firmly, causing Jay to finally look her in the eye. "You will never harm our future children. You will love and care for them in ways your father never did. I know that because I know you, and I love you. You picked the career you did, not only because it's something you love to do, but because you get to help kids everyday. You wouldn't do that if you were the kind of person who harms children."
Jay swallowed the lump in his throat, slowly nodding his head before Pandora leaned forward and rested her forehead against his.
And Jay would prove Pandora right a few years later, with the birth of their firstborn daughter Primrose.
The End
AN: Sorry this chapter is a few hours late, I've been working on it all day trying to get the ending right. I hope everyone likes the ending, and the story in general. Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed on this story. Your reviews make my day, so please take a moment to let me know what you all thought of the story and epilogue.