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]

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.

[themaniwanttobe]

"All sorts of voices," he shrugged. "Your movements are always watched, your Majesty, by all sorts of people."

He could see an opportunity to escape when it was in front of him, and he could twist it enough to use it. Not lie. No, he'd never lie, but he could... manipulate it. He'd watched his parents doing it for years, he'd learned from the best, after all.

[unhappilyeverafter]

"I want their names," she then instructed curtly, levelling her eyes on the cricket in clear and dangerous threat. "And you're going to get them for me. Because if you don't. If you defy me, I will crush you like the insignificant little insect you are."

[themaniwanttobe]

"The names of those who would tell of your movements?" He looked shocked. She believed him... But he couldn't just tell her bird names and her not crush him. No, he had to be believable to get her to trust him. And it was only by a modicum of trust that he could get close enough to try and figure out just what was behind her vendetta.

[unhappilyeverafter]

She mistook his shock for fear and she slowly smiled, as though her threat had never been uttered. "That's all I ask," she said simply, almost sweetly, as though he would enjoy such a task. She turned then, walking towards the balcony and holding her hand out into the open air.

"Return to me at dawn with the names I require. And make sure you do, bug. Because if you don't, I will find you. Snow's not the only ones with spies."

With that, her hand finally loosened on him. "Off you go."

[themaniwanttobe]

He was a cricket. One cricket out of millions. How was she going to find him. But it helped him to help her. He could use that just to get this little bit closer. He flew out of her hand, straightened his jacket, then nodded at her. "Dawn, then."

With that he simply turned, flying out of the window.

It only took him a few minutes to find a stable surface to stand on, and gather his wits. He'd taken on Regina verbally, and got away with it. He was here now, a step closer to actually getting somewhere. Not that he thought it would be easy to get information out of her, but it was a start. Now if he could get his legs to stop shaking...

***

He'd flown around, caught some sleep, and now it was approaching dawn. Although running away, not going back to Regina was appealing, he knew what he had to do, If there was the vaguest chance he could stop this war before it started, he had to follow it up. And so here he was, in Regina's bedroom of all places, hovering uncertainly over her bed. It was coming up to dawn, and that was when she'd demanded his presence, but... here? Really?

Perching delicately on the pillow next to her, he simply sat and waited, chirping gently to himself.

[unhappilyeverafter]

It wasn't often that the Queen slept soundly. Sometimes, there were simply too many horrors in her memory that kept her awake. It meant that by morning, she had only just settled and was lost to a deep sleep when Jiminy flew back into her palace.

There was something less threatening about Regina when she was asleep. Her expression lost its harsh frowns, and gone were the dark palettes of make up that made her look all the more severe. But it was a peace that wouldn't last for long, for as the gentle chirps filled the room, Regina began to slowly stir, for a moment not quite realising who was sharing her bed.

But then her bleary eyes focused upon the insect besides her, and, unsurprisingly, she let out a sudden gasp, sitting up in a bid to put distance between herself and the shock. It was not the most pleasant wake up call.

"What are you doing in my bed chamber?" she snapped, her tone not inflicting quite as much damage as it did so soon out of sleep.

[themaniwanttobe]

He'd noticed the difference when she was sleeping. It was hard not to. There were glimpses of a much younger woman in there.

But that was lost as soon as she woke up, and the Evil Queen returned. "F-following your orders, your Majesty," he replied meekly, not wishing to upset her any more.

[unhappilyeverafter]

As the sleepy haze ascended, she remembered her instructions, and when she looked to her window, she saw the first light of dawn peek over the horizon. He had indeed followed her orders, almost a little too well, seeing how patiently he had waited besides her.

Slowly, she began to smile, pleased before she even heard of his information. She was pleased because he had obeyed her. He had listened to his Queen.

"That you are," she said, slowly twisting herself in the bed, looking down at him as he perched upon her pillow. "And did you get the information I require?" she asked, moving her hand down to the pillow, her palm open, expecting him to step into it without force.

[themaniwanttobe]

He paused, feeling like he was about to walk into fire. She wouldn't like his answer, no matter the truth of it - and it was. It just wasn't necessarily the answer she wanted to hear.

But truth it was, and only by the truth could he begin to gain her trust, and hopefully prevent this war from going any further. "I did, your Majesty," he said, stepping onto her hand daintily.

[unhappilyeverafter]

This was almost too easy, to have one of Snow's allies so easily under control. Well, it certainly made a change from ripping out their hearts.

She smiled all the more when he stepped up into her hand. "Oh, you are going to be very useful to me, indeed," she declared cheerfully, sweeping to her feet and carrying him along with her. She lifted her hands up in front of her, laughing as she watched his tiny little form so vulnerable in her grasp. In her cruel delight, she brought him closer to her, adding mocking insult to injury as she leant down to press a feather-light kiss to the side of his head, like he was a most prize possession.

Perhaps he was.

[themaniwanttobe]

To say he was terrified was an understatement. Here he was, voluntarily stepping onto her hand - into the belly of the beast if you liked. She was never going to like what he said - if she thought he was working with her, it was because it was the only way to get close to her.

What he didn't expect was the kiss he got, or the reaction. He fell backwards off of her hand onto the bed, every part of him feeling like he was on fire. He shuddered a few times, blinking up at Regina. Things seemed... closer. Odder. Smaller.

With a shuddering breath he looked down at himself. He was... human again. How?

[unhappilyeverafter]

It wasn't until Regina pulled her head back that she realised something was happening. She could feel it in the palm of her hands, she could feel magic, and in her fear, she quickly tossed him away from her, watching as he fell backwards onto the bed in front of her. She was about to demand an explanation, but there was no time, because before her eyes, and in a cloud of magic dust, he was changing.

Stunned, she took a hurried step back, staring as she watched the cricket shift and change and grow into ... a man.

There was utter silence as she stared at him, at what was now a human being, sat on her bed, looking as confused as she felt.

"What just happened?" she demanded nevertheless, because she was well aware what had just happened, but she refused to accept the implications of what she had just done.

[themaniwanttobe]

Jiminy was totally confused. His mind was in turmoil. What would happen to Geppetto and Pinocchio now? Geppetto accepted him as a cricket, but as a human, the same human who killed his parents? That was going to be a different matter. He was so focused on that, he forgot about Regina for a moment.

But her insistent question brought him back to the present, and he stared at her. "I... I wasn't always a cricket?" he offered as a lame explanation. "I don't know what just happened." He never even considered any implication about it.

[unhappilyeverafter]

Regina maintained her distance, looking him over, as though there might be some visual clue that she had missed. She most certainly hadn't triggered this, at least, not willingly - and it took more than an accidental slip-up of magic to turn somebody back into a man.

"You were cursed?" she ventured uncertainly, her eyes snapping back up to his, to the normal human eyes that were suddenly present.