A/N: Yay! More cute scenes between Naveen and Tiana that didn't happen in the movie! :D But of course, the movie was amazing just the way it was. I just like experimenting where it could have gone :P So here's chapter four, enjoy!

Chapter Four

When I opened my eyes next, I immediately sat up, surprised. The sky had gone from blue to a light pink, and the sun had already set. I looked at Tiana, who was settled down a little bit away from me, speaking to Louis. But her words did not reach my ears. She looked extremely pretty, almost glowing in the pinkish light. I couldn't look away even as she noticed I was staring at her. "What?" She asked, and I shook my head. "Eh, you…you had a spider above you." I lied, and then cringed as she gasped and swept her hands above her head. "Where?" she cried.

"No, no! It was just a bug—a twig!" I sighed, and she gazed at me as if I were crazy. "It…is gone." I smiled slightly, and she shook her head.

"You are not scared of a twig, are you?" I asked, attempting to rid myself of the awkward feeling I had, and then hopped onto Louis' nose as she glared at me.

Louis chuckled slightly and then glanced back at Tiana. "Now, that restaurant of yours…" he began, and I inwardly sighed. She would never give up on that dream, would she? I felt a twinge of discomfort, almost guilt. And I had made a promise I could not keep to get it for her. "Is it gonna have étouffée?"

Tiana smiled dreamily. "Jambalaya, gumbo…it's gonna have it all!"

"Mmm," Louis said. "Aways wanted to try red beans and rice, muffulettas, po' boys…" He drew a breath to continue, but I held out my hands. "Oh, stop, Louis!" I laughed slightly, though I was serious. "You two are making me so very hungry." I placed my hands on my growling stomach, and then all my attention suddenly went to a swarm of bugs that flew by. Why did they look almost...tasty? My tongue shot out a moment later, and I thought for a moment. "Interesting…" I murmured, and then jumped into the water as Louis stopped.

"What are you doin'?" Tiana asked, and I pressed a finger to my lips. "Ssh! You are frightening the food." I tried to catch one of the bugs with my tongue, but missed and instead smacked myself in the face, causing me to fall backwards. "This is harder than it looks," I chuckled slightly, standing and trying yet again. I thought I had caught one, until it came back and hit me, knocking me to the water once more. I'd grabbed a giant piece of the tree. I groaned, dazed, and then heard Tiana giggle at me. It's not funny! I thought, attempting to get the branch out of my mouth.

"Oh no. No, no, no." I heard her begin, though couldn't see what she was talking about due to a bunch of grass between us. "There is no way I'm kissin' a frog and eatin' a bug on the same day. Oh!"

I finally managed to get rid of the branch, and then I saw the last bug around us land on a flower, looking up at the sky. Determined to stop my hunger pangs, which were almost the only thing I could focus on now, I crept up, shot my tongue out at it—and somehow ended up literally tongue-tied with Tiana, ramming into her and dropping to the water.

"Hello…" I said uncertainly, and she stood, trying to pull our tongues free. "What are you doing?" I mumbled, irritated. "Stop moving! You are making this very difficult!"

The grass suddenly parted beside us and Louis stepped out. "Ya'll find anything to yet? I—oh my." He inspected our situation and frowned.

"Um…" I began, unsure what he was thinking about all this, but he picked us up before I could continue. "Hang on, old Louis got it covered."

"No, no, no!" I protested, but he twisted the two of together, attempting to help and yet only tangling us further, leaving us unable to even move. He set us back down, only standing up by one of my legs. "How's that?" he asked, and I glanced at Tiana. "This could be a little better," she murmured.

Louis tapped his chin for a minute, and then appeared to get an idea. "You know what this needs? A sharp stick! Be right back!" he said, and then went off, singing to himself.

Oh, great! I thought, and then Tiana muttered, "This is all your fault."

"My fault, my fault—let me tell you something!" I said as we struggled to free ourselves. "I was having a wonderful time until—"

"Hoo, well lookie here!" a voice suddenly silenced both of us, and we stopped glaring at each other long enough to see the same bug that had been on the flower before calmly come up to us, smiling. "Ooh, girl, I guess you and your boyfriend got a little carried away, am I right, am I right?"

"Don't be ridiculous—" Both of us began sputtering, upset the firefly would even think that, but he didn't seem to care either way. "Uh-huh, let me shine a little light on the situation!" He flew up a bit further and then strained, his backside lighting up for just brief second. "'scuse me, one more time now." He chuckled, and almost got it to light up, but it once again went out. He frowned, and then twisted it as if it were a light bulb, finally lighting up very brightly. "Ah! That's more better, yeah!"

Tiana and I both cringed away from him as he flew closer, the light nearly blinding, and he smiled. "Oh it's okay, baby, I don't explode, me! I ain't no fire cracka!" He turned around. "I just got my big butt glowin', that's right! Ooh, women love a man with a big back porch!" He laughed, and then flew around us. "Oh Lord, you done diss up real good, for sure!" He grabbed a part of one of our tongues. "Now where this go to at…?"

"Oh dear…" I muttered, wincing from the light, and he glanced at me. "Hang on, cap'n, I'm just gon'…give a little twist here!" He disappeared between us, and I heard Tiana squeal.

"Oh, I'm gettin' annoyed yellow now, hoo-hoo!" His light only got brighter, and he started singing as he tried to untangle us, and then popped back up, tugging on the end of my tongue, and Tiana and I both exclaimed as we spun and fell free from each other.

"'Bout time I introduced myself," the firefly said, and then drew his name in light. "My name's Raymond, but everybody call me Ray." He added, erasing the last four letters.

"Pardon me," I began, pointing a finger at him and smiling slightly. "But your accent…it's funny, no?"

"Well, I'm a Cajun, bruh! Born and bred the Bayou! Ya'll must be new around here, huh?"

I stood. "Actually we are from a place…" I brushed water off myself and laughed softly. "far, far away from this world."

"Go to bed, ya'll from Shreveport?"

What? I wondered confusedly, and then realized he thought I was speaking about distance. "Uh, n-no, no, no, no." I corrected. "We are people."

"Prince Charmin' here," Tiana began, "got himself turned into a frog by a voodoo witch doctor."

I looked at Ray and grinned, shrugging. "Well, there you go!" Ray said, and I glanced at Tiana. If only she had accepted that so easily.

"And we're on our way to Mama Odie's," Tiana continued, "we think maybe she could—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Mama Odie?" Ray frowned, flying in front of her as she nodded. "Ya'll heading in the wrong direction, cher! What kind-a chucklehead told ya'll to go this-a way?"

Louis suddenly burst out of the grass, startling Ray, who flew beside Tiana. "I found a stick!" He shouted, and we both stared at him. I glanced at Tiana as she crossed her arms and said, "Louis? Ray here says you've been takin' us in the wrong direction."

Louis suddenly looked around nervously, dropping the stick and laughing nervously. "I was…listen…I was confused by the topography and…the geography…and the choreography…"

"First rule of the Bayou," Ray murmured, leaning towards Tiana. "Never take directions from a gator." Then he whistled, and both of us turned around to see the trees suddenly slowly lighting up with too many fireflies to even begin to attempt to guess a number. "Well, me and my relationals will help show ya'll the way!"

"Achedanza!" I murmured, awed. Ray went up to one of the branches, spoke for a moment, and then they began to play instruments, and all the fireflies started flying around. Ray came back down to us, looking at Tiana. "Come on, cher! Just follow the bouncin' butts!"

"We gonna take you down, we gonna take you down, we gonna take you all the way down…" I began dancing slightly as Ray sang, and Tiana suddenly grabbed my arm, pulling me along as I realized they had flown off towards a group of trees, and we hopped along after them, Louis following. "Goin' down the Bayou, goin' down the Bayou, goin' down the Bayou, takin' you all the way."

I stopped as Tiana accidentally tripped, helping her back to her feet, smiling at her. She seemed surprised, and then smiled as well, although when we turned back, we did not see the fireflies anymore. How did we just lose sight of trillion and something lit-up bugs?

I heard Ray's distant voice, and then another whistle, and then fireflies lit up all around us, and I glanced at Tiana as we both hopped onto the lily-pads.

"We gon' take ya, we gon' take ya, we gon' take ya all the way down. We know where you're goin' and we're goin' with you, takin' you all the way."

Louis sped past us, using fireflies at the end of his tail as practically a propeller and then sinking into the water as they left. I laughed and looked up at the lights as we jumped along.

"Goin' down the Bayou, goin' down the Bayou, goin' down the Bayou, takin' ya all…"

Ray and all the other fireflies spiraled up into the air and made the impression they had exploded, like fireworks, and then drifted back down. "Yeah you know!" Ray shouted joyfully. "Come on, keep that line flowin', and them lights a-glowin'!" Tiana and I settled back down on Louis' head as he swam, following the lights closely.

I laughed after a few moments and shook my head, leaning back, and Tiana glanced at me with only the smallest of smiles. "What?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "That was…fun."

She nodded slightly without answering and then turned her attention back to the lights ahead, and I stared at her. Did she even know the meaning of that word?

It hardly took long before Ray flew up next to us and said, "Well, this is far as the rest of 'em needs ta go."

Tiana and I hopped up onto land, as did Louis, and then Ray flew up to the rest of his family. "I'll take 'em the rest of the way!" he said, and they began to go back the other direction.

"Nice meeting ya'll!" Tiana said, and I waved a goodbye, hopping in front of her and under a tree's slightly lifted trunk before she even reached it. At least we were going the right way now.

"Evangeline?" I heard Tiana ask after a few moments from somewhere inside the little tunnel, and I turned to see them appearing out of it.

"She's the most prettiest firefly that every did glow." Ray replied, and then squeaked. "You know, I talk to Evangeline most every night. She kinda shy; don't say much. And I know in my heart…" he continued, flying up to light up behind a heart shaped leaf. "Someday we gonna be together."

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Tiana said, climbing up beside me.

"Yes, so sweet." I said partially sarcastically, smiling. "Just…do not settle down so quickly, my friend. There are plenty of fireflies in the swamp."

Tiana gave an exasperated sigh and slammed the stick she held into the bush in front of her, making a small pathway. "What?" I asked, and then shook my head as she ignored me and smacked another part of the bush out of the way.

"Ow!" Louis shouted as he pricked himself with a bur, although we both continued on. He'd find another way around the bushes. I followed Tiana down a long branch, silently watching her as she hit the leaves and such out of the way. "You know, waitress, I have finally figured out what is wrong with you." I said at last, pointing at her.

"Have you now?" she said, slashing more leaves and sounding as if she didn't care at all.

"You do not know how to have fun." I shrugged. "There; somebody had to say it."

"Thank you!" Tiana forced a smile at me, pushing past a branch. "'Cause I've figured out what your problem is, too!"

I placed a hand behind my back arrogantly. "I am…too wonderful?"

She released the branch, which snapped back and hit me right in the face. I fell back and groaned, dazed, looking up at Tiana as she pointed the stick at me. "No, you're a no-count, polandering, lazy bump on a log!"

I laughed and stood up, forcing a cough. "Killjoy!"

Tiana bent towards me. "What'd you say?"

"Ah, nothing." I smiled, shrugging innocently, and then as soon as she'd turned away I coughed again. "Stick in the mud."

"Listen here, mister!" Tiana said, poking my chest with her finger as I continued to act like I'd said nothing. "This 'stick in the mud' has had to work two jobs her whole life, while you've been sucking on a silver spoon—" I jumped after her as she moved on and tossed her stick away, continuing to rant. "—chasing chamber maids around your—your ivory tower!"

I frowned and glanced down as she hopped away. "Actually, it's polished marble." I muttered, then paused. "And if you do not like working so much, why do it?"

"Because," Tiana looked back at me and rolled her eyes, as if I'd asked the most stupid question she'd ever heard. "Not everyone has as much money as you do!" She gave me an expression that was just barely a smirk. "Or, did."

I frowned and briefly glanced away, and then realized she'd stopped where she was, staring at nothing. "You've never had to do anything you didn't want to." She said. "But my family barely had enough money to keep our house before I could get a job. I needed to work. I still need to. And when my daddy…" She trailed off, and I hesitated before taking a few steps towards her. She brought a hand up to her eyes as if she'd been crying, although I couldn't be sure as she was facing away from me. "Sorry; don't know why I just…we should go."

She began to hop off, but I did not move for a moment, thinking I should say something but not quite knowing what, and then shouted as a net suddenly grabbed me, the catcher holding me in front of them as I struggled to get away, gripping the top so I could not jump out. "Ooh, I got me one, boys!" The guy said, walking off. "Go on, get that little one over there!"

Tiana! I squirmed to get out of the net, but the hunter wouldn't allow it, stepping onto a boat. "Hoo! This is a good day, yes it is!" he laughed, holding me up in front of him as I tried to get away from him. "Look at them big frog legs, I'mma have me some cornbread with you, oh yeah!"

Suddenly, almost too fast for me to see, Ray—or at least I assumed it was him—shot up the man's nose, creating enough of a distraction for him to release his hold on the net, which I fell out of and splashed into the water. Sinking halfway to the bottom, I looked up through the shimmering surface, staying down until at least I was sure the hunters had lost interest in me.

Then I popped up and gasped for breath, seeing the boat was already leaving. "I'm free! Hah!" I began humming slightly myself until suddenly something caught my attention out of the corner of my eyes: Tiana was trapped in one of the idiot's cages. I panicked for a moment and then shot my tongue out. It stuck to the back of the boat, and I gasped as I suddenly was skidding across the water. It took me a second or two to put my legs steadily down, and I laughed—until I rammed into the back of the boat with a cry.

"Oh…" I groaned, sinking back into the water, and then swimming as fast as I could under the boat to the other side, lifting myself onto it and peering at the man closest to me. I jumped onto him and crawled onto his head just as he lifted his hat, placing a finger on me and scratching. I grimaced and then scratched his head, hoping to only draw attention from the two staring at me. Tiana gasped, and I glanced at her, placing a finger to my lips as the biggest hunter raised the bat made of wood he'd been holding—and smashed it down onto the man's head. I jumped right as he did so, and then he hit him again. I dodged this blow, too, and several more until I noticed the man sitting on the cage Tiana was in get up.

"Now! Go!" I told her as I jumped again, and then fell, grabbing onto the man's nose, gasping as one of them pointed a gun right at me. Were they really going to shoot the man? I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes, bracing myself, and then blinked, seeing Tiana jump towards the man's pants, which made the other man shoot right between his legs, just missing him.

I hopped next to Tiana, onto one of their feet. "Watch this," I said confidently, and turned to the hunters, bulging out my throat. We jumped to the top of the hunter as he smashed the other one's foot, and Tiana laughed, shooting her tongue out, and then we jumped again as the other one hit him.

We continued this, all the hunters babbling on at once, until all but the biggest hunter was on the boat's floor, and I held out my hand to take Tiana's. We both jumped above the man, who hit himself in the face and dropped next to the others, us landing on top of him.

"These two…ain't like no frogs I ever seen…" one of them said. "They smart."

Tiana and I hopped down in front of them. "And we talk, too!" Tiana said breathlessly, and all three of them screamed and paddled as fast as they could away from us as we jumped out onto a rock, catching our breaths and relieved. I looked over at Tiana, who looked as though she were crying, and I asked, "Are you all right?" in concern before I realized she was quietly laughing.

"I'm fine!" She said after a moment, placing her hand over her mouth, and I raised an eyebrow at her. "Ah!" I smiled. "You do!"

"Do what?" She asked, looking at me as she slowly stopped giggling.

"Know what fun is," I replied with a little smirk, and she glared at me, although she was still smiling. I hopped onto shore, and then glanced at her as she jumped beside me. "I don't know," she said, "if that was considered fun."

I shrugged and began to walk off into the bushes. She followed me and after a moment shook her head. "That was…nice what you did back there."

I glanced at her. "Oh what, you mean save your life?" I leaned towards her with an arrogant grin.

She stepped past me and pulled back a piece of grass, releasing it to smack me. At least it hadn't hurt like the branch had before. "Yeah, that."

"It was genius, no?" I asked, and she shook her head at me again. I laughed as I thought about what she had said. "'And we talk, too'. Hah, I like that! You are secretly funny."

"Not a stick in the mud?"

"W-well, I wouldn't go—"

"Say it, say it," Tiana interrupted, and I laughed softly. "All right, fine. You're not exactly…"

"I can't hear you," she said, cupping a hand behind her ear. "I'm sorry, what?"

"…a complete stick deep in the mud…" I continued, and she giggled. We both looked up in concern as we heard Louis shout, and as we went over to him found Ray pulling out burs from his backside. "Ow! Easy, easy!"

"Oh, this one in there, ain't it? Hold on—"

"Aghh!" Louis exclaimed, and Ray peered out at Tiana, pulling another bur off. "Cher, I know we gots to get to Mama Odie lickity-split, but this particular extract-ification gon' take a while, yeah."

"Aw, poor Louis." Tiana said, patting his nose, and he held up a finger. "You know what would make me feel better—ow! Crawfish, smothered in Remoulade Sauce—mercy!"

"Got a lil' mo'!" Ray called.

"Some banana foster…" Louis continued, "sprinkled with brollies…Ahh, oh, mama!"

"How about some swamp gumbo?" Tiana asked, tapping a large pumpkin.

"That'll do." Louis said, and then shouted again.

"Sounds delicious." I said, leaning back against the tree and putting my feet up on a mushroom, spreading a leaf on me life a napkin. "I'll start with a pre-dinner cocktail and…something to nibble on while I wait, thanks."

"No, no, no, your royal highness." She curtsied and I blinked up at her. "Mm, what? What's the matter…?"

"You are gonna mince these mushrooms." She said, pushing my feet back to the ground and placing a sharp, knife-like stone in my hand. I stared at it, and then up at her. "Do—do what?"

"Mince the mushrooms!" she repeated, beginning to climb up a tree, waving at me. "Hop to it!"

I stared at the mushroom I'd pulled out of the ground. "A little…ridiculous…" I murmured, and then glared up at her as she shouted, "Are you mincing?"

"All right!" I called back. "Relax…" I turned back to the mushroom, turned it upside down, and poked it, frowning. Then I walked over to the tree root in front of me and set it down, placing the stone on the end of it and beginning to cut. This was the most work I'd had to do since…well, since ever! I stopped halfway to run a hand along my forehead, and then finished it, sighing in relief. "One…"

I looked to where Tiana had started a fire under the pumpkin, surprised, and then watched as she came over to me. "Step aside, mister." She said softly, taking the stone from me and flipping it in her fingers. "Watch and learn." She grabbed the mushroom from me, and I smiled as she chopped it into tiny, absolutely perfect pieces, and then stared at her and she handed the stone back. "Oh, all right…um…" I began, and then tensed as Tiana placed one hand on my shoulder and the other on my own hand, maneuvering the stone I was still holding to cut another mushroom, and I gave a quiet laugh.

"There you go," she said, releasing me as I continued to cut the thing, and then I glanced at her as she gathered the mushroom she had chopped. "You know, I—I—I've…" My voice would hardly even work. "I've never done anything like this before."

"Really?" Tiana asked sarcastically, and I laughed slightly. "All right. But…when you live in a castle, everything is done for you, all the time! They dress you, they feed you…drive you—brush your teeth!"

"Aw, poor baby!" Tiana mocked playfully, smiling, and I brushed away the pieces of mushroom too small. "I admit it was a charmed life…until the day my parents cut me off and suddenly I realized…" I slumped forward a bit with my chin resting on my hand, never having thought I'd ever admit what I was about to. "I don't know how to do anything."

It was silent for a moment, and then Tiana came up behind me and grabbed the mushroom I had cut. "Well hey, you got the makings of a decent mushroom mincer." She said, flicking a small piece at me.

I brightened up again and looked at her. "Oh, you think so?" I asked, following her to the edge of the pumpkin.

She nodded. "Keep practicing and I just might hire you!"

"Really?"

"No." She giggled, and I smiled. "Oh, come on! That was…that was below the frog's belt…"

She only smiled at me, and I shook my head, walking back down to the log and leaning against it. I looked up at her, once again having the completely overwhelming sense of how beautiful she was. And…she really wasn't as annoying as I'd thought before.

She was actually pretty…amazing.

A/N: Haha, the spelling/grammer check on my computer went crazy when I was writing Ray's dialogue xD Woo, super long chapter this time! :D Thanks to my first reviewers! Hope you liked it, review if you want to, and see you next chapter!