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]

With her attempts to hit him unsuccessful, she dropped her hands, scowling in a way that was verging on childish.

"You're trespassing on royal grounds," she snapped sharply, like this would hold any weight much a cricket, much less a talking one. "You have no right to be here."

[themaniwanttobe]

He paused for a moment, part of him half tempted to forget this path, and just go, but... what could she do to a cricket?

She could kill him, but there was nothing to be gained by that. So, despite his instincts telling him to flee, he perched back on top of the fireplace.

"I won't tell anyone if you won't," he said, preening his wings slightly. "I'm here to help you." Or at least try to. He wasn't sure how much help the Voice of Conscience could be to someone like Regina, but he had to try now he was here.

[unhappilyeverafter]

As tempted as she was to swat him again, she was starting to look foolish and that would never do. With a stern breath, she straightened her posture again, leaving him be. After all, if she allowed him to stay, it was on her terms, and she could convince herself she was in control.

Despite how much she had wanted him gone, his words intrigued her. Regina's plight with the criminal Princess was common knowledge throughout the land, and the fact someone might want to help her was a rarity. Still, she had hoped that someone might be more impressive than a bug.

"Help me?" she asked doubtfully, taking in his tiny stature. "And how exactly can you help me?"

[themaniwanttobe]

Bug or no, he was here, now. And for the sake of helping his two charges, he would try anything.

Knowing that his next words would be likely to cause Regina's fragile grasp on her temper to slip, he puffed out his chest in a deep breath. "I'm here to tell you that you don't need to follow this path. That I'm here to help you."

He flew down to face her directly. "Your Majesty, if you carry on down this path, something will happen that we will all regret."

[unhappilyeverafter]

It was a hope that was soon dashed. The moment he began to speak, she realised he didn't want to help her at all. There was barely any warning as her face darkened with renewed rage and her hand darted out to snatch him out of midair.

"You're not here to help me," she then snarled, either seeing the truth, or her paranoid mind working overtime. "You're here to stop me."

Her fingers tightened over that fragile body, pulling him closer to her face, to loom over him in threat.

"Nobody can stop me. Especially not pathetic little bugs!"

[themaniwanttobe]

The pressure around Jiminy's chest was tight, and he struggled to breath. He fought against her, trying to escape her grasp.

"I want to stop everyone, not just you!" he pointed out, the words coming out as a gasp. "This path you're all on can only hurt more people." Snow and Charming were too stubborn as well, which was a bad combination.

[unhappilyeverafter]

"But I don't want to hurt anyone," she then assured him, her voice lifting with a lightness that was as false as her smile. "I only want to hurt Snow White." With that, her eyes darkened again and her smile twisted unpleasantly. Her grip turned tighter around the cricket, as though he was the traitor herself.

"Now, tell me who you are," she said, leaving no room for hesitation with her hand holding him the way it was. She didn't know if he was an ally of Snow's, or just someone trying to do 'good'. Either way, she didn't like it.

[themaniwanttobe]

Jiminy thought about Geppetto, and Pinocchio, and how they would be in danger if she linked them to him. But then, why would she pay attention to who a cricket was connected with other than Snow and Charming. No one else seemed to matter to her.

"Jiminy!" he squeaked out, barely able to breath. "My name is Jiminy!"

[unhappilyeverafter]

When he complied, she slackened her fingers just so, as though he should be rewarded for obeying her. "Good. Now, Jiminy. What do you know of Snow White?"

This was the answer she wanted most of all, that would decide if Jiminy was useful to her, or if he would meet his untimely end. Regina only cared about those who were valuable to her, a fact that had not gone missed during her bloody tirades across the villages.

[themaniwanttobe]

The pause he gave before speaking was telling. Not just because he was getting his breath back from having been squeezed so tightly, but he was deciding how much to tell her.

"I know how much she wants this to end. That there was something in your past... that she won't talk about." It maybe gave away too much about how well he knew Snow, but he was scared, and babbling a little.

[unhappilyeverafter]

There was a flash of bared teeth and her hand tightened again, soon ending Jiminy's reprieve. "No, she won't talk about it. Because she knows what she did," she whispered through a hiss, not caring that these words would mean little to Jiminy.

She turned away from the fireplace with the cricket still in her grasp, stalking across the room with a dramatic flare of her dress. Today's defeat was still raw, and the reminder of what that wretched child had done was another wound opened.

"The only way this will ever end is when I have Snow White's heart," she promised in dark, unfurling tones, lifting Jiminy back to her line of sight.

[themaniwanttobe]

Jiminy felt entirely out of control. His life, literally was in Regina's hands at the moment. "But what if there was another way?" he asked, trying desperately to keep some sense of equilibrium. Not easy when you were moving because of someone else.

[unhappilyeverafter]

"There is no other way," she assured him, narrowing her eyes at the mere suggestion. It wasn't the first time people had tried to convince her of another path - her father, namely. But all he wanted was his daughter's happiness, and if that meant pursuing Snow, then he allowed it.

"But you would have me do that, wouldn't you? To spare your precious Snow?"

Yes, she most definitely noticed how well he knew the princess.

[themaniwanttobe]

"I want to spare everyone." His first concern would always be Geppetto and Pinocchio, and if it helped Snow and the others, then that was a bonus. "Because this feud between you will only lead to loss of life, not only Snow, but everyone else, and who knows what it will do to your soul? It's not too late to help yourself, your Majesty!"

[unhappilyeverafter]

It had already led to loss of life. There were villages burning in her name, graves piled with the bodies of those her men had slaughtered. It was too late to turn back, there was nothing to turn back to.

"I am helping myself!" she declared with a shake of her fist. "This is the only way I will ever know happiness. A happiness that wretched girl took from me in the first place! If you want all this to stop, then help me put as end to Snow White's miserable existence."

[themaniwanttobe]

Snow put a stop to her happiness? Jiminy made note of it, but struggled against her grip. "What happens when it's done?" he asked her curious now. He knew that it wouldn't bring her the happiness she thought, it was obvious there was something more missing in her life. Snow was a target, that was all.

[unhappilyeverafter]

"Then, it is done," she answered simply, lifting her chin with a dignified air, like she should be commended for not being complicated. She simply wanted Snow gone, then her life could begin. But she was wrong, of course. Because with Snow's loss, came the loss of her own heart, as the last of its light was taken over by evil.

[themaniwanttobe]

"And that's it?" he pressed on, knowing that there had to be more to life than that. "The story ends? Everyone gets their happy ending?"

There would be no happy ending while this carried on, of that he was sure.

[unhappilyeverafter]

"Yes," she said curtly, slowly tilting her head at him, hearing the unspoken implication. Whether she truly believed it was that simple, it wasn't clear, but one thing was sure - she would stop nothing to find out.

"Now, it's my turn to ask the questions." She pulled him closer, that threat ever present, a reminder that she could finish his pathetic existence without any magic at all, just a simple crush of her fingers. "Are you going to help me get my happy ending, Jiminy?"

[themaniwanttobe]

"I will not help you kill Snow," he said defiantly, even though he knew at that moment he could be crushed into nothingness. He was not going to help anyone kill anyone else. He'd killed Geppetto's parents, there was a line he would not cross now.

[unhappilyeverafter]

"Oh, I didn't ask you to help me kill her," she said, giving him a smile as though that made everything easier. "I would hardly put that task upon you. I merely want information."

[themaniwanttobe]

He stopped his struggling momentarily to look at her. Information? That wasn't what he expected. "What kind of information?" he asked her carefully. "Because I won't betray her, or her friends." But if he could use it to get through to her...

[unhappilyeverafter]

"I want to know how she managed to escape today," she said, her eyes darkening at the thought, the reminder that once again she had slipped free. "How did she know I would be there?" Her glare fixed tighter upon him as she continued. "You said you wanted to help me. So help me."

[themaniwanttobe]

Jiminy shook his head, laughing to himself. He thought that was well known. "There are many who would sing of Regina, and her movements," he said, deliberately vaguely. "Snow listens."

[unhappilyeverafter]

Evidently not well known to her. Perhaps her own arrogance had a part to play in her numerous defeats.

But Jiminy's vague words were not enough for her, Regina wanted answers, now more than ever. And fresh from another loss,, she had no patience.

"Who?" she demanded, thrusting her hand higher, shaking him for good measure. "Who dares speak of my movements?" She glared into the cricket she held, again overcome with an urge to turn him to dust. But she withheld her murderous desires, because he was still useful, and useful was what kept people alive around the Queen.