Chapter Text
"I’m never going to let you out of my sight"
Jacks wanted to live the rest of his life honoring that promise.
As he laid next to Evangeline, he watched her sleeping.
Finally she wasn’t a married girl anymore.
She was a widow princess, but anyway... she was his.
He agreed easily when she suggested to go to the Hollow.
The two of them shared lovely memories there and they could make so many new great memories together.
Jacks planned to give her all the kisses he couldn't give to anyone in all those centuries of misery.
What he didn't expect was that when his Little Fox fell peacefully asleep, his happiness dimmed, giving room to ancient anguish and fear.
Because that building preserved old memories.
Memories of his youth. Memories that weren't erased from his mind.
It was cruel when Evangeline had lost her memories and forgot him as well. But he wouldn't mind having his ancient past erased from his memory, so he could fully start over with the love of his life.
Evangeline was breathing slowly. She looked like an angel. His angel.
But in the silence of the Hollow his ears heard echoes of familiar laughters.
Jacks swallowed hard.
He promised not to let her out of his sight, but he was already going to break that promise. Just for a moment. Just to deal with scars from his past.
He kissed her warm hand, his eyes falling on the last scar on her wrist, the last kiss of the bargain he wouldn't collect.
Then he forced himself off the bed and walked downstairs, stopping at the entry.
He observed the meal clock, but that wasn't what attracted him there.
He braced himself before letting his eyes rest on the carvings next to the clock.
"Why did you keep that shit?" he hissed to the house.
He recalled when he brought Evangeline to the Hollow for the first time, how she noticed the carved names.
"Were you in love with Aurora?"
The echo of Evangeline's question hit him harder than he expected.
She had been jealous then, just seeing the silly carvings.
Jacks recalled the pleasant things he felt when seeing Evangeline wearing just his shirt.
But she had been upset because his name was linked to another girl's one.
Now Evangeline knew who Aurora was. Aurora was back and was revealed to be the monster she truly was.
The reason of all his misery.
Aurora slept peacefully for centuries, while Jacks had to live through hell for such a long time.
All because she couldn't accept that Jacks never lost his mind for her. He never loved her. He accepted her being around just because she was Castors twin sister. She was a princess. While Jacks was nothing.
And now that she was back and unpunished, he didn’t feel fully freed.
He needed to protect Evangeline at any cost.
Was he capable to protect her from Aurora and her sick curses?
Aurora + Jacks
Jacks grabbed the first knife he found and stabbed her name on the wall.
The building shook, disapproving that attack.
Jacks froze for a moment, hoping that he didn't wake his Little Fox up.
Silence.
He focused on the carved names again.
There was something sadic in the way he slowly tortured Aurora's name. He enjoyed it fully. Cut by cut he removed her name from the wall.
Then he worked faster to remove his own name.
He would carved his name linked with Evangeline's on every hall of the inn, he promised to himself.
They would do it together and he would enjoy watching her smile as they made that place their home.
The Hollow let out a sort of exasperated sigh as Jacks rested a hand against the wall and watched the clock.
Removing Aurora's name linked with his was the first step to his long recovery.
Now it was time to go back to his saviour before she could find him missing.