Poor Unfortunate Souls (6/6)
Poor Unfortunate Souls
Note: I do not own “Once Upon A Time” and I do not make a profit from writing this story. I’m just amusing myself.
Authors Note: Please read the warnings carefully and the timeline I’m following goes as follows. Jiminy was nearly 30 when he became “The Cricket”. His parents had been working for Rumpelstiltskin all his life. This takes place about 5 years after Pinocchio became a real boy, given Geppetto’s age which is about 55; this makes Jiminy about 85 at this point.
Setting: Enchanted Forest
Rating: PG13
Warnings: language, mild violence
Genre: Angst/Drama/Bittersweet Romance
Word Count: 1,774
Cast: (in order of appearance/mention) Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, Prince James, Grumpy, Sea Witch, Jiminy Cricket
Summary: Jiminy Cricket felt the term "poor unfortunate soul" was a name created for him, all he wanted to do was love, but fate had other plans.
PART SIX
It was midday by the time Red returned, she was splattered in blood, and she was carrying a small pouch. She looked grim as she approached the three. Without a word she sank down to the ground next to Rumpelstiltskin who offered some meat they had gotten. She accepted it, eating quickly, followed by a long drink of water.
“Where do I need to go? I don’t have much time,” she said, looking at the sun in the sky.
Rumpelstiltskin stood, and she rose to meet him, “I can get you there but I can’t bring you back. You have to get out on your own. Use your senses, your instincts. If you do, you’ll make it by sunset. It will all work out for the best, Pet,” he told her, his face masked of any emotion.
“I understand,” she said, she looked to James and Grumpy, she went to open her mouth but then shook her head. Instead she grabbed Rumpelstiltskin’s arm and as he pulled her to him, they vanished.
“So, we’re stuck waiting again?” Grumpy asked, shaking his head, “I do have things to do, you know,” he sniffed indignantly.
“Grumpy,” James sighed, “She needs us, and since you won’t tell me where I can find Snow, you have nothing to do but help support someone Snow cares about.”
The dwarf glared, “Fine, and I do want to see who Red could go to all this trouble for,” he stated.
“Curiosity killed the dwarf,” Rumpelstiltskin said as he popped back to the shore.
James rolled his eyes, “Were you just toying with her when you said this would all work out?” he demanded.
Rumpelstiltskin just shrugged, “Maybe. But it’s up to her to forge her own destiny now; this will go one of…three ways. It doesn’t matter which way it goes, the future will be the same no matter how this plays out at this point.”
“So you gave her false hope?” Grumpy asked, glaring at the Imp.
“It’s better than nothing,” he replied, dropping down, sitting cross legged near the shore, “I’d get comfortable, boys, it’s going to be a while.”
Begrudgingly the two sat near him, all eyes casting to the lake. It looked so clear, so prefect. Small waves gently lapped at the shore. Nothing seemed wrong here, everything seemed perfect and timeless. That’s what was always misleading about water, as James recalled vividly. You never knew what lurked beneath the surface. As hours passed, James climbed to his feet, beginning to pace. The sun was coming closer and closer to setting.
“She should have been back by now,” he growled, glaring at Rumpelstiltskin.
The Imp was sitting motionless, “There’s a labyrinth of tunnels under there and she won’t give up without a fight. Neither woman will, it can still take time.”
“You could still help her!” James insisted.
Rumpelstiltskin merely shook his head, “No, I can’t. As I said, I make deals and she has nothing now or ever that I would want. Besides her, if she would be mine, but that will never be. So this must be something she has to finish on her own.”
“Just making sure she has little time and little choice?” Grumpy asked, Rumpelstiltskin just shrugged, a devilish smile appearing on his lips.
“So it would seem,” He admitted, then he yelped as James kicked him in the side, “That’s not called for!”
“Yes, it is! You’re setting her up to fail!” he shouted, losing his control on his anger.
Rumpelstiltskin ducked another blow, “No, I’m making her work for her happiness. Happiness will never come easy,” he said, “Look at you, what you’re going through for Snow! What your almost wife went through for her love, now they are on the run! They can’t even enjoy their reunion! And you dwarf, your girl, you went to jail for trying to get a ring for her! Would you do it again?”
Grumpy went quiet, “Yes,” he admitted.
“See! Oo, did you hear that?” Rumpelstiltskin asked, stopping dead, the other two went silent.
“No,” they stated in unison.
Rumpelstiltskin stood, “She’s trying to get to the surface, good timing too, since its almost time…” he said.
True to his word, suddenly James could hear something rising in the water. He was almost in the water when he watched as Red breached the surface, a very limp man in her arms. He could hear her gasping and coughing hard as she began to swim towards the shore. But as she got closer, she started to get pulled down.
“James!” she shouted, “Take him!” there was a gasping sound and she disappeared beneath the water.
James raced into the water, swimming hard and fast as he could to the man. He grabbed him around the middle, pushing himself to get to shore as fast as he could. Once there, he place the man on his back, pressing his ear to his chest he heard nothing. Cursing he began to try to revive him, suddenly the man spat water out and drew a shaky breath. But he didn’t wake, James looked down at him, studying his face, trying to place him.
“Him? Really? I mean I’m no looker but this is guy is no Prince Charming,” Grumpy said, Rumpelstiltskin laughed.
“No, he isn’t. You’ll find out soon enough who he is,” the Imp promised, as he gazed out to the lake. James swore he heard Rumpelstiltskin whisper, “Come on, Red.”
More time passed, Red still hadn’t surfaced and Rumpelstiltskin waded out into the water, only going out to his waist. Suddenly the sounds of her trying to get to the surface sounded again, breaking the silence that had fallen. She burst up out of the water, gagging and choking, struggling to swim to the shore. She reached out her hand when she came close to Rumpelstiltskin and he pulled her to him, bringing her to shore. He dodged as she landed on her hands and knees, retching out a large amount of water. He rubbed her back as she gasped for air, coughing hard. Once she caught her breath, she crawled over to the man’s still form. Pressing her lips to his, he didn’t move and she then slammed her fist on his chest.
“Wake up please,” she begged, “Please.”
The three men watched as the sun sank down and the still man suddenly inhaled. Then light danced around him and he vanished, before them now a cricket.
“Jiminy,” James breathed as Red began to sob.
The Prince watched, his heart breaking as Jiminy let out a chirp and crawled into her hands. She sniffed and began to speak quietly to him.
“Hmm, I figured this wasn’t how it would end. Oh well, we did try,” Rumpelstiltskin stated, a sigh escaped his lips, “And I was hoping to taste your lips again,” he continued wistfully. James watched as the Imp stood over Red’s fallen form, he leaned down, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before vanishing in a puff of smoke.
Grumpy looked at Red, “I’m sorry,” he said, he knew exactly how heartbreak felt.
“I am too,” she whispered, not looking up from Jiminy, who hung his head.
James reached out for Red, helping her to her feet as Jiminy climbed onto her shoulder, “Come on, let’s get you home,” he said, she just nodded.
“So was that a gifted form for him or what?” Grumpy asked, Red shook her head carefully.
“No, that was the humanity he gave up years ago in repentance,” she replied softly then fell silent.
The three trudged through the woods; no one said a word as they brought her back to her small cottage. She walked through the small kitchen to her bedroom. They watched as she placed Jiminy on a small table before throwing herself down on her bed.
“Do you need anything?” James asked, she shook her head ‘no’.
Grumpy cleared his throat, “Do you need us to stay?” he asked, she lifted her head and gave him a fleeting smile.
“No, but do know I do appreciate the offer, especially from you,” she said, then dropped back down on the mattress.
“I will be coming by tomorrow to check on you,” James informed her.
She gave a soft chuckle, “I figured as much, but you should spend your time finding Snow. One of us should get a happy ending,” she told him.
With those words, he crossed to her and pressed a kiss to temple, “You will have happiness again,” he told her.
“Whatever you say, Charming,” she retorted, causing him to shake his head.
“I hate that nickname,” he muttered, “Goodbye, Red, I’ll be back,” he stated, she merely grunted in response and closed her eyes, sleep consuming her.
It was deep into the night when she awoke to a hand on her shoulder. Inhaling deep, she grinned as she caught the scent of the person in her room.
“So, think they bought it?” he asked, voice hushed, as he crawled into bed beside her.
She grinned, flipping over to peer into his face, “Oh I’m sure they did, dear Jiminy, we’re very believable people after all.”
“What about Rumpelstiltskin?” Jiminy asked, stroking her face, she shrugged.
“He may figure it out but he won’t do anything,” she assured him.
Jiminy leaned down at kissed her, “I love you,” he whispered, pulling her to him, crushing her to his chest.
“I love you too. I’m sorry I panicked when you approached me with marriage,” she said, “Had I not-“
“Shhh, it’s ok,” he told her, “It was kind of worth everything to hear your confession.”
“I think I surprised the Sea Witch more, but who knew she would officiate weddings,” Red said with a nod.
Jiminy laughed, “Well she has someone to keep her company now, thankfully that put her in a good mood.”
“Would you be horribly offended if next time I see the Imp I give him a kiss for his troubles?”
“Yes.”
“But what if I could convince him not to sneak in at nights anymore? Giving us all the time we needed…” she offered.
Jiminy mulled it over, “Only once, brief and do not let him try to push it further.”
She just laughed, “Oh, he heard that lesson already, he tried to put his tongue in my mouth and I almost bit it off.”
“Good girl,” Jiminy said, and then laughed as she straddled him.
“Well let’s see how naughty this good girl can be,” she giggled.
He leaned up, pressing a kiss to her lips, “I look forward to it, wife.”
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~The End~
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I hope you all enjoyed this story, I almost, almost decided to leave him as a Cricket, but then what would have been the point ;)