Disclaimer: I own nothing of OUaT

Author's Note: Thank you to my one reviewer! :D

BTW this is a re uploading! I realized the chapter was copied twice. I apologize!

Averianna stood next to Snow White on the Balcony of Court Room of Snow's Castle smiling. The battle had finally been won, the kingdom was hers again. Snow put her arms around her dearest and longest friend. Averianna smiled and they both looked up at the night sky.
"Your mother is looking down on you Snow," Averianna looked and smiled at Snow, "And she is proud." She kissed the young girls forehead, "As I am." The beautiful, young princess hugged Averianna,
"Thank you. So much." She whispered. The were interrupted by a voice telling them that everyone from the court had nearly arrived. When they broke apart, Averianna laughed,
"So.. How did you get the entire court to trust the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin?" Averianna asked.
"Actually, I had a little help. Someone spoke very highly of you. Defended you is more like it." Snow smiled. "a Jiminy Cricket?" Averianna's face contorted.
"Cricket?" racking her brain. "Doesn't ring a bell." Averianna said.
"Well.. Go meet him. He's through the Court Room, room to the left." Snow smiled.
"Will you be OK out here?" She asked her.
"She'll be fine." came a man's voice, her fiancée Prince Charming was behind her.
"Ahh.." Averianna understood and chuckled. She walked passed the handsome man, giving him a respectful nod as she went, he returned it with a smile and a nod of his own. Averianna walked down the path she was directed to, wondering who this man could be defending her. She opened the door, but saw an empty room. Her face scrunched again, it wasn't like Snow to jest her, especially not about something important as this. "Hello?" she asked to the empty room, as she took a few steps in. Her quick scan of room told her no one was there.
"Averianna?" came a soft, familiar voice behind her. Averianna's eye's grew wide. No.. It couldn't be. It's been years since she's heard from him...
"James?" She asked, turning around. Again, no one was there. She began to breathe quickly, growing upset. This was obviously some cruel joke, and she wasn't appreciating it, not one bit. It was testing the rather amazing control she had on her temper.
"Down here. On the table. Under the microscope." Came the voice again. Averianna walked slowly, disbelieving to the table at the microscope, and there was a small cricket on the table. It wasn't an ordinary cricket, the insect was wearing a waist coat, and a top hat.
"James?: she whispered.
"Hello Averianna." The cricket smiled.
"Wh-what happened to you?" She was still whispering, and she didn't know why. She couldn't get her voice to be any stronger. The man that she loved, the only man she has ever loved, was now a cricket. She became angry, and found her voice again, "Did my father do this to you?" she spat. "Because if he did, I swear, I will find a-" he cut her off with that soft voice of his, that always seemed to soothe the deadly fire within her.
"No.. I chose this. I told the blue fairy to do this to be.. I.. I needed this. I wanted this."
"Why?" she asked, her voice growing weak again.
"I did something bad.. I.. I needed freedom. Closure." He explained the best he could.
"What could you have possibly done?" Averianna was holding back tears. She could not even think of something James could have done to deserve to not even be human any more. She knew he was a thief, that was true, but she also knew that he did it to survive. HE did not want to be a thief, and Averianna was helping him stray away from his parent's life. She was trying to make him better.
"I k-killed." he said, sounding completely remorseful and ashamed. "Two innocent people... Who did nothing but invite my parents and I to stay in their home, and feed us warmth from their stove." Averianna was floored. There was no way this man could hurt anyone.
"That is impossible.. You couldn't.. You don't have an evil bone in your body, let alone the darkness murder takes."
"It was an accident." James said, but before he could clarify, Averianna defended him,
"See, you are not a murderer, James. Sometimes bad things happen, without meaning.. or malice, and there is nothing we can do about it." Averianna tried comforting him.
"No.. I intended to murder that night.. Just not those people." he said, mater of factly.
"Who?"
"My parents." He said softly. "But, I murdered them instead. The parents of a small boy. Who became an orphan because of me. His name, is Gepetto."
"The wood-carver.. Yes. I've met him, good man... wait.." Averianna had one of her flashes of magical intuition she adored. "Those disturbing puppets.. the wooden ones.. In my father's collection."
"He gave me the potion to free me from my parents.. Once I was free... I was going to be with you. But things got all messed up. And-" he took a deep breath. "I love you too much to let you be with a murderer." Averianna stopped breathing.
"That's why you never came back.. I went every day.. for years." Averianna closed her eyes. "Waiting for you." she was telling the truth. She went the to their spot, in the woods, where the waterfall ponded. They met there constantly, talking, sharing a lunch together. She had even kissed him once there. She trusted him like no other, and one day she went there.. and he was not. She waited until the sun set, and the night grew cold. He never showed up. She came day after day after day. It lasted years, she sunk inside her own head. Blocked everyone out, and her father eventually dragged her from herself. That is when she stopped going, but it had still taken years.
"I did show up." he whispered sadly. Averianna stared at him. "Every day, until you stopped coming." he assured her. "I tried to get your attention, but all I I could do is chirp."
"And I don't speak cricket." she laughed, choking back tears. "You never gave up on me."
"No.. I never have. But I was glad the day came that you gave up on me." he fluttered onto her hand, as if he were trying to hold her hand the way he used to. "You became so awfully thin.. and pale." he said, then he smiled. "But, you are so much better now."
"You stood up for me." she said.
"Of course. You are nothing like your father. You have good and bad in you, like everyone else, but you choose good. You have always chosen good."

So many mixed emotions! But how would you feel if your man turned into a cricket?

Very informative for Avery's and Jiminy/Archie relationship!

Thank you for reading!