A/N: This story was previously titled Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince (inspired by the Taylor Swift song of the same name.) I took it down because someone pointed out that I forgot to give credit to the lyrics in the prologue at the time. They then decided to start harassing the story in the reviews, ultimately I took it down to make said person happy. But I am reposting it again, with the proper credits. Everyone really liked the story and I enjoyed it a lot as well.

I apologize once again for the mistake I made. And for all the drama over it.

Just want to state that this is an AU SOA story with OC characters from my other SOA story Little Toy Guns. Tara is pretty much the villain in this, if you like her, this may not be for you.

I own nothing but my characters and original ideas. Everything else goes to their respectful owners.

Enjoy!

Chapter One

Rowan's Point of View – 8 Years Old

"Onward, fair knight!" I giggled, pointing the stick in my hand doubling as a sword towards the playground ahead, holding onto Jax's shoulders as he gave me a piggy back ride.

He sighed, but trudged along. I knew he probably didn't want to be playing with me, again today, but he didn't complain. He never did. Whether it was princesses and knights, care-bears or a made up game, he always played along. Opie too.

Growing up together had sort of made them my built in best friends and playmates.

Opie laughed beside us. "You're still on your whole princess kick, ain't ya?"

Jax plopped me down at the bottom of the slide. I pointed my sword stick at Opie. "Yes I am!"

"I swear if anyone finds out I watched Cinderella with you, I'll kick your ass." Jax said, looking at me.

He always threatened to beat me up, but he never did. And he never would. It was just his tough guy act he put on even at ten years old. Jax was always the tough confident one out of our group. Opie was the jokester and I was the glue that kept us altogether.

At least that's what my mama says anyway. I was light that contrasted their darkness.

Opie grabbed Jax's arm and smirked. "Look what I stole off Pop." He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. "Let's try em. He'll never know they're gone."

Jax smirked and grabbed the cigarettes, pulling a lighter out of his own pocket. I wasn't sure where he'd gotten that from. Probably Gemma's purse. We'd seen our dads smoking all the time, but I never saw the appeal. The smoke always made my nose burn and crinkle.

"Come on!" Jax shoved Opie playfully, getting ready to take off somewhere they wouldn't be seen.

"Wait! What about me?" I stomped my foot. They were always trying to exclude me from stuff and I didn't quite like it. "I wanna go with you guys! I can try one too."

Jax shook his head and put his hand on my shoulder gently. "No, Ro. You ain't touching these. Go play with the little kids and we'll be back." He spun me around and gave me a little shove towards the monkey bars. "I'll play on the monkey bars with you when I get back." Jax offered, fearing he was about to make me burst into tears most likely.

The wind whipped my pigtails against my cheeks as I looked sadly over my shoulder at Jax and Opie walking off towards the woods edging the park. Mama had only let me come with them today because she had to help daddy at the club. She was always helping daddy at the clubhouse.

Discarding my sword stick, I ran past a group of kids gathered by the castle and went under the slide to look for worms to show the guys when they came back. Maybe I wanted to throw them on them for ditching me a little too. I flipped a rock and found a nice juicy worm wiggling all about. I was about to pick it up when something or rather someone snagged onto my pig tail.

"Ouch! Get off me!" I yelled, shoving a boy a few years old then me in the stomach. His name was Rory. He went to our school but was held back a few years so he was in my grade.

I shoved past Rory abandoning the worm hunt and ran to the monkey bars. I ran up the green metal steps and latched onto the first rung, my tiny body swinging in the air. I kicked my feet and swung to the next bar.

"Nice undies, Collins!" Rory called out, standing below me. "Are those motorcycles on them? You're such a freak! Those are for boys!"

Blush creeped up my neck and face. I let go of the monkey bars and plummeted to the mulch below. Rory shoved me down the minute I got to my feet. "You think you're gonna be like your dad and ride motorcycles all over this town, huh? My mom says he's gonna end up shot! He's no good and neither are you!"

Tears welled in my eyes as I stayed hunched on my knees in front of Rory. My knees burned where they touched the mulch. "My daddy is a good guy!" I growled out, getting to my feet feeling the rage I always felt when I heard people talking about my family.

Rory being twice my size had no problem shoving me back down again. I landed on my butt with a thud.

"Hey, Rory! Get the hell away from her!" Jax called out, him and Opie running to my aide.

"What are you gonna do, Teller?" Rory laughed, which was the wrong move for him to make.

In mere seconds Jax was standing in front of me with his fist hauled back and within another second it was colliding with Rory's nose. He screamed and doubled over in pain clutching his nose, his hands coming back red.

I didn't realize I was crying until Jax pulled me to my feet and hugged me. "Come on, don't cry. It's okay." He rubbed my back gently.

Opie sling his arms around both of us. "We gotta go! Someone's coming over here."

We all looked up to see a parent slowly walking towards us. "What's going on over there! Where are your parents?"

"Shit, run!" Jax yelled, grabbing my hand.

We ran across the grass back towards the parking lot where Opie and Jax had put their bikes. By the time our sneakers hit the asphalt there wasn't a tear falling down my face. Instead I was laughing as I climbed onto the back of Jax's bike, standing on the bars.

"Hang on!" Jax said as we took off.

We flew like crows outta hell down the street heading back to my house. It took about five minutes for our tires to hit the driveway.

I climbed off the back and flopped down in my front yard, Jax and Opie joining me a few seconds later, out of breath but laughing.

"I think you broke his nose." Opie said, proud of his best friends handy work.

Jax grabbed the lunch bag off his bike and unzipped it, pulling out a pizza lunch-able Gemma always armed him with.

"Fucker deserved it." He made a pizza and handed it to me. "Here, I know you like these." I took it happily and bit off a huge bite, shreds of cheese falling onto my dress an sauce caking around the edges of my mouth. "You gotta be more careful, Ro. The boys at the playground aren't nice."

I stood up and placed my hand on my hip. "Hey! I can handle myself, I'll have you know! You don't have to rescue me, Jackson!"

"He would have crushed you, darlin."

"I ain't your darlin!" I yelled mad but unsure why.

Opie and Jax looked at each other and then at me and then busted out laughing. My face grew red and warm from embarrassment. "Don't laugh at me."

"You get all red and blotchy when you're angry." Jax laughed again.

"I wish Thomas would have come to the park today instead of you!" I plopped down on the ground beside him, punching him in the arm with all my might.

Thomas was my age and he and I always got along really well. Gemma had to take him to the doctors for his heart check up though today so I was stuck with these goons.

Jax grabbed my hand and closed my fingers into a fist, my thumb on the outside. "That's how you make a proper fist, darlin. You hit like a girl, by the way."

Jackson knew those were fighting words.

I lunged at him, shoving him back in the grass and into Opie. Within seconds Jax was tickling my ribs and Opie was tickling my shoulders. And I was in a fit of giggles ready to pee my pants.

The screen door slammed open and I heard my mama step onto the porch. "What on earth are you doing out here? Sounds like a bunch of little animals!"

We paused our fight and I sat up, still sitting on Jackson's lap. Mama smiled, tucking a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear.

Off in the distance we could the roar of bikes. The closer they got to us the more the ground shook and my heart raced faster. Within seconds we could see a tribe of headlights in the evening light coming down our street. Mama put her hands on her hips and watched as daddy pulled into the driveway. Uncle Piney, Uncle Clay and Jax's daddy John waved as they continued down the road. They always traveled in packs like wolves.

Daddy silenced his bike with the turn of his key and swung his leg over the metal beast, removing his helmet. "Daddy!" I yelled, running as fast as I could into his arms.

"Baby girl!" He smiled, swooping me up in his arms.

He carried me back across the yard towards everyone. Being in my dads arms always made me feel safe and secure.

Daddy smiled as mommy walked over and stood on her tippy toes to give him a kiss. "My steel horse cowboy." She grinned, running her hand down over the leather vest he had on. "You better say you missed me."

Daddy laughed heartily. "I just saw you an hour ago at the club. But yes, I missed you. Always do. And I miss this little nugget." He tickled my belly making me laugh hysterically against his shoulder. I'd heard a lot of people say things about my daddy, but I knew he protected mama and me and this town.

That was good enough for me. He was good enough.

Daddy pointed a finger at Jax. "Hey, I got a call a few minutes ago from Donnie Gallagher, he's saying he thinks you broke his sons nose. What the hell happened, kid?"

Jax stood up and nodded. He swallowed down the gulp in his throat, fidgeting with the blade of grass in his fingers.

"What on earth?" Mama shrieked, giving him a stern look.

"Easy, Rebecca." Daddy said, placing his hand on her back.

"It wasn't his fault, daddy! Rory looked up my dress and was saying mean things to me. Jax was protecting me." I came to Jax's defense immediately.

Daddy sat my feet on the ground and looked at Jax and Opie.

"This true?"

"Sorry, Deacon. He shoved her a few times. I was just doing what I thought was right." Jax shrugged, picking his bike up off the ground. "You always tell us to watch out for her. I wasn't gonna let Rory hurt her."

"There was blood everywhere!" Opie laughed, being a tad bit over dramatic. Mamas eyes widened in fear and I saw her jaw clench shut. She was always worried the boys would become to tough and rough for me to hang around.

Daddy gave him a stern look and he straightened back up grabbing his own bike.

"I appreciate you looking out for our girl. You did the right thing, son." He patted Jax on the back and leaned into his ear. "Maybe next time make sure there ain't any witnesses."

"Deacon!" Mama smacked daddy on the arm playfully. "Don't be telling him that! You two head on home! Jackson, I'm calling Gemma, so you don't get in trouble." She scurried Jax and Opie onto their bikes and sent them down the driveway.

"See ya tomorrow, Ro!" Jax and Opie called over their shoulders.

"Bye guys! Love you!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Opie called back. "Race you to the Johnston's mailbox." He told Jax and took off even faster.

Jax paused in the street and looked over his shoulder at me. His lanky body already too big for the bike he was riding. "You know you're my girl, Ro!" He smiled and waved before taking off after Opie.

"Hey, you're to young to be saying I love you to anyone but me!" Daddy teased, taking my hand and leading me towards the house.

"Daddy! Opie and Jax are my boys. I'll always love them."

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this first snippet of this story! This is a sort of spin off from my other story Little Toy Guns! All of the characters in that story will be in this one as well but seen in a whole new way! This is kind of a look at what Rowan's life would have been like had her mother not died and she grew up in the life of SAMCRO. I have so much planned for this story and this new world. I wanted to show this flashback to cement Rowan in Jax's life and give you a look at how he was as a child. They're will be more childhood memories popping up throughout the story. I hope you like this and continue to follow this new journey for Jax and Rowan. My goal is to try and update this at the very least once a week but I'm hoping more then that.

You can follow collins_rowan on Instagram for photos of young Jax and Rowan and more! It's a joint account for my other SOA story Little Toy Guns as well!

More to come soon! Please review and let me know what you think and what you'd like to see in the story!