AU verse [locked to Regina]

[themaniwanttobe]

Madness. This was utter madness, he was sure of it. But madness or no, he was here.

Here in the worst place possible, somewhere he never thought he'd end up, but doing something he had to try, for the sake of everyone.

He had to try and talk to Regina. There was so much at stake, with the constant fighting, that he had to take the risk. Deep down, he doubted that he would be able to do much to get through to her, but if he didn't try, he end up regretting it for the rest of... well, however long they lived.

Flying up to her castle, he pushed down the stab of fear he felt. Regina was not to be trifled with, and he knew she wouldn't like his words. But still he flew up to an open window. The advantage of being a cricket meant that he could sneak past her guards. The feel of magic all around him made his teeth itch - or it would if he had any.

He'd struck lucky. Regina was alone in the third room he checked, and he hovered uncertainly for a moment, trying to work out the best way to approach her without getting swatted.

Comments

[unhappilyeverafter]

"Changed back?" she repeated, her head turning suddenly at his request. This had been nothing to do with her, and it most certainly hadn't been her magic. But... she didn't have to tell him that. Not yet. If he thought she could do something for him, then perhaps it would keep him onside a little longer.

With a slow smirk, she began to turn away from him, pushing the layers of her nightdress aside like it was one of her royal gowns. Even barefooted, she managed to carry herself with that same regal stance - arrogance and power all rolled into one.

"Now why would I want to do that? You haven't even helped me yet."

[themaniwanttobe]

Jiminy turned away from her, flushing slightly as he realized how their situation looked. He in her bed, her in her nightclothes... The fact that he was fully dressed would be neither here nor there to any guards who would gossip.

"I... I'm not sure I can help you, your Majesty."

[unhappilyeverafter]

Stopping in front of her mirror, Regina levelled her gaze upon her reflection, her smile almost congratulating herself for concocting such a plan so quickly. But when his words drifted over, she quickly snapped her head towards him, the smile falling from her lips.

"What do you mean?" she asked, picking up her dress hem off the floor as she took several silent steps towards him. "You came back. You did what I asked!"

[themaniwanttobe]

He could be forgiven for being somewhat rattled. It wasn't every day one changed form to become what you used to be.

"Oh. That. Yes..." Well, this would be even more awkward, as he was going to twist the truth slightly. Before the worst she could do was kill him outright. In this form... who knew?

[unhappilyeverafter]

Reaching him, Regina stopped, her glare fixating on him as awaited his answer. "Well?" she demanded sharply. "If you wish to be changed back, tell me what you found." The truth was, she wasn't sure if she could do such a thing at all, but that was of no matter so long as she got what she wanted.

[themaniwanttobe]

He swallowed hard, pushing himself away from her a little. "Snow... It's nothing more complicated than using nature. Nature gossips - I know."

He was a cricket till recently, after all.

[unhappilyeverafter]

"Nature?" she repeated, like the word itself disgusted her. "You're telling me that's how she knows of my whereabouts? Because some vermin tells her?" She didn't look pleased, namely because she couldn't do anything about it, lest she burnt down the entire forest. And that did momentarily cross her mind.

Her eyes snapped back to his, frustrated by such useless information. With a growl, she turned away from him, walking away a few steps as she glared to one side, trying to work out what she could do, what this could possibly mean.

[themaniwanttobe]

"Vermin? Your Majesty, nature is concerned at the way things will turn out as well. They live here. They have a vested interest in what happens. Trust me on this."

He moved then, struggling to his feet as a human for the first time in over fifty years, more tentative than he would have liked.

[unhappilyeverafter]

Regina sneered to herself at his explanation, not yet turning back to him. She didn't know how she could put a stop to such gossip, but it was undoubtably causing a problem for her. Everytime she tried to get to Snow, she was being warned, enabling her to flee or worse, raise an army.

"Then it must be silenced," she then said slowly, not caring how impossible a task that was. The Queen never listened to reason, which was how she'd ended up this way.

Turning on her heel, she presented herself to him again, lifting her chin and fixing her eyes on his.

"Tell me how I stop them," she ordered. "You were part of that world, you must know a way."

[themaniwanttobe]

"Silence nature? Really?" Jimimy gave her an incredulous look. "Every time you try, nature comes back stronger. It's always been the way. You will never manage to silence it." It was something he'd learned quickly - never underestimate nature.

[unhappilyeverafter]

His bravery was quickly wearing thin. With a hardening of her glare, her hand flew upright, knocking him backwards off his feet and onto the bed he had only just lifted himself from. Without even a touch, he would feel a pressure closing upon his throat, tighter and tighter, cutting off his air, as well as his ability to speak.

"If I can't silence them, then I will silence you," she drawled in threat, moving closer, step by small step, watching him struggle. "You said you were here to help me, bug" The phrase is now more demeaning than ever.

"So, help me or suffer. Your choice."

[themaniwanttobe]

"You would waste your effort silencing a bug?" Jiminy managed to squeak out, grabbing at his throat in a vain effort to be able to breathe.

[unhappilyeverafter]

"Only you're not a bug, are you? Not any more," she replied, her hand still lifted as she stopped in front of the bed, her eyes drinking in how he struggled, grabbing for the hand that didn't exist. She smirked slowly, holding him until he was teetering into dangerous territory before she released him with a simple lift of her hand.

"I think I find you much more satisfying as a man."

[themaniwanttobe]

Jiminy crashed to the floor, taking a few moments to drag himself upright before he faced Regina again.

Being a man again... he wasn't sure if he could do it. Couldn't face Geppetto as that man who destroyed his parents; at least the cricket was far enough removed that it didn't hurt quite so much. "Why... why is that?" he stammered out.

[unhappilyeverafter]

She didn't answer. She didn't need to. That smile was dangerous and cunning and said it all. She slowly turned away from him, crossing her quarters with silent footsteps, her nightdress unfurling across the floor behind her.

"I think I will keep you. You could be more useful than I first imagined." She looked ahead out of the window, smiling to herself, enjoying her own performance. She certainly had no plans on changing him back, and even if she tried, it wouldn't be with the good magic that saved him, but dark magic that would do so much worse.

[themaniwanttobe]

He sat more upright, leaning against the wall as he looked at her worriedly. The thought of being away from his little family... But he just shook his head in the end.

"And in what way would I be useful to you? I don't know anything."

[unhappilyeverafter]

"Oh, I think you do," she said suddenly, her voice raising to a tone that slapped against the walls, cutting through his defence. "And I intend to find out exactly what it is." Her head turned aside slightly, viewing him from the corner of her eye, the shadow of a man she now had in her grasp. "And if you want to restored to your ... former self, then you'll cooperate. Is that clear?"