Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.
'Red Snow'
Chapter 2, 'The conscience never lies'
"Su-u-ummer," somebody said as soon as Summer and Charlotte entered the seemingly only diner in town. Summer smiled, and made a salute movement to the owner, before pointing at one of the booths and sitting down herself.
"So if everybody is a fairytale character," Charlotte started after they both had ordered drinks, "then who is he?"
Summer looked at the owner that was frantically fixing their drinks, and then at the book that Charlotte had placed on the table. Summer moved the closer to herself, opened it and then showed Charlotte a page in it.
Charlotte looked at it, and then frowned.
"Jiminy Cricket?"
Summer nodded.
"I thought Jiminy Cricket was a cricket in the original fairytale. This man doesn't look like a cricket."
Summer chuckled, and held up her hand. "That is the original fairytale. This is a different version, Charlotte. The stories are not as you might know them from your childhood. It's complicated, you should read the book to know the character's relationships. But the fact that Snow White has a baby in this book is already prove that it is a different version than the original one."
Charlotte nodded, and looked at the drawing in the book. It wasn't that Summer had thought it through very much, the man in the book and the man currently getting them drinks just looked very much alike.
"Jiminy, here, NOW!" the raging voice of Jiminy's mother came, and shudders ran over his back. Why couldn't these people just leave him alone? He didn't want to be bad, he wasn't made for it.
"Jiminy, I won't say it twice!"
"I'm coming, mother," Jiminy replied, sighing, and exited the caravan.
"Ah, there you are, my dear. Now, come here, and help me with dinner," his mother said. Jiminy felt a rush of excitement flow through him as he thought about denying his mother's wish, but then decided against it. Even though he wanted to be good, with all his heart, nothing good would come from protesting against his parents. In the thirty years in which he'd lived now, he knew that far too well.
"Yes, mother."
She smiled as Jiminy sat down beside her. "I knew you would help me. It's hard to please your father, you know? So picky he is, our George. God knows I tried to help him off that trait, but stubborn, oh."
Jiminy's insides clenched. He just wanted to get away from here.
"Mother?"
"Yes dear?"
Again, the clenching. Why did she call him 'dear' all the time? She didn't give a flying one about him. The only thing he did well was making sure his parents didn't have to do all the hard work.
"What would you say if I wanted to leave?"
His mother froze, then he saw the tell-tale signs of anger in her features, and not long after, she angrily put the stuff she was holding on the table and faced Jiminy.
"That crap again? I told you many times, Jiminy. You're not ready to leave. You're nothing without us. You wouldn't last a day out there."
"But can't I try?"
"No, you can't! Now stop whining and finish this dinner!"
Jiminy swallowed, and sighed. "Fine, mother."
-RedSnow-
He had had enough of it. He didn't want to be bad anymore – and this time, he was absolutely sure. No retreats, no excuses – he was going to escape his parents.
He grabbed his cloak from the table, and just when he was about to leave the trailer, he heard footsteps behind him. His heart sank.
"What do you think you're doing?" a low voice said, and Jiminy swallowed.
"Uh... Getting some fresh air."
"The air's fresh enough in here. Get back to bed."
"Father, I need to get-"
"Back in bed, yes! I won't ask it twice!"
Jiminy stood frozen to the floor, not knowing what to do, but when he heard his father approaching, he suddenly had a lot of courage, and with one swift motion, he had punched his father in the face, and the old man fell backwards due to the impact.
Jiminy gasped, but he knew what he had to do. He quickly checked for a pulse, and when he found one, he let out a sigh of relief.
He then grabbed his cloak again, and left the trailer.
"Here you go, Summer," the man said, and Summer smiled at him.
"Thank you, Wayne. Business fine as usual?" she asked, and Wayne shrugged.
"Could be better, but I'm not complaining either. Just a normal week, I guess."
"Well, I'm glad," Summer smiled, and then suddenly realized that Charlotte was still sitting there, at the other end of the booth, waiting to be introduced.
"Wayne, this is Charlotte. Charlotte, this is Wayne Rigsby. He owns the diner," Summer said, and Charlotte nodded. The girl extended her hand, and the man seemed more than eager to comply, and shook it.
"But most people call me Rigsby. Now that I think about it, Summer is the only person that actually calls me Wayne. Why, exactly? Do you have a crush on me?" Rigsby teased, and Summer rolled her eyes.
"Whatever," she murmured, and made a dismissive gesture with her hand, indicating the man should leave now or else he would get in trouble. Rigsby chuckled.
"Just don't make her drink your tequila shots. From the looks of her, she's not even an adult yet."
Summer rolled her eyes. "You're my conscience or what?"
"You got that right, sister," Wayne said, and Charlotte chuckled. Summer just groaned, and both women watched as Wayne walked back to the counter.
"He thinks he's so funny," Summer complained, and Charlotte smiled.
What had he done? He had left his parents. Had left them behind. He never should've done that. Never, ever. He was a bad son-
"You're not a bad son, Jiminy," a small voice said, and Jiminy startled almost violently.
"Don't be scared, I didn't mean to frighten you."
Jiminy turned around, and was surprised to see a fairy next to him.
"You did what you felt was right for you, Jiminy. Standing up to your parents. That's very, very brave."
"But I didn't want to hurt them."
The fairy nodded.
"Can I make it up to them?"
"I'm afraid not, Jiminy. If you go back now, nothing good will come out of it. They won't be so nice with you this time."
"But I don't want to be bad anymore! That's the whole reason that I left my parents in the first place!"
The fairy nodded again, and then, the two were silent.
"There might be a way to be good again," the fairy said suddenly, and Jiminy's eyes widened.
"Really?"
The fairy nodded once again, and then raised her wand, making a few pointed movements.
"What did you do?" Jiminy asked. The fairy chuckled.
When Jiminy looked down, he gasped.
"I'm a cricket!"
"Yes, you are. This way you will be able to live longer. There is a boy in town – he's an orphan. He needs a protector. Can you be his protector, Jiminy?"
Jiminy frowned. "I think so."
"Then go look for him. Tell him why you're there. As long as you're not selfish, and you will always lead him like a good conscious, you will be considered a good person, Jiminy."
Jiminy took a few moments to think this over, then nodded.
"What is his name?" Jiminy asked. The fairy smiled, and pointed to the town.
"Geppetto."
"So my plan for now is to first get you introduced to the town's people, then we'll see what to do with The Curse thingy."
Charlotte nodded. She was glad she came along with Summer. This was more adventure than she'd had in years.
Her phone buzzed against her hip, and she groaned.
"That's probably my foster mother, asking me where I am," Charlotte murmured, and answered the phone.
"Hi Susan-"
"Charlotte Anne Greggs! What did I tell you about leaving home without telling me where you're going? Where the hell are you now anyway?"
"I'm somewhere you don't have to be-"
"What's that for answer?"
"I'm seventeen, Susan, you don't have to follow me everywhere I go. Just because you've got a big house and are loaded doesn't mean that you have all right to tell me what to do and what not to do. You're not my mother and you'll never be my mother. Now stop calling me, I'm somewhere safe and I don't want you to follow me. Bye Susan," Charlotte snapped, and stopped the conversation.
Summer was staring at Charlotte, and the younger girl just chuckled.
"Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet."
"If that was your foster mother, how are you going to react to seeing your real mother?"
Charlotte froze, and then swallowed. She shrugged. "I've never thought about that. But I think that if I do meet her, then I will be happy. Ever since I can remember, I wanted to find out who my real parents are."
"And that's the reason you came along with me?"
Charlotte nodded. "But I do want to help you."
Summer smiled. "You didn't look like that when I arrived at your school."
"Well, hello, what did you think I would've have done? Suddenly join a stranger who told me that I'm the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White? You know that that looks really strange on my CV, right?"
Summer rolled her eyes. "If this going to work out, you're never getting back here again. When The Curse is broken, everybody will get back to fairytale land. Or so I hope. I don't know what Red John did with the land, actually."
Summer sighed, and took a sip of her drink. Then, she took in a deep breath and nodded.
"Yes."
"What yes?"
"Let's get you to my house. You must be tired."
"You're making me tired."
"Father, I'm tired of doing this," Prince Simon said, as he had to perform his newest move for the umpteenth time. His father just shook his head, the movement accompanied with a dismissive gesture of his hand.
"You cannot say this when you are in a battle, my son."
"Perhaps I don't want to fight, Father."
"You don't have a choice, son. Our kingdom is at war."
Simon lowered his sword, and sat down on the throne next to his father.
The king wasn't stupid – of course he saw his son wasn't happy. But the only thing the prince wanted was a woman, and that was the last thing he needed – what this kingdom needed.
"Can't we make a truce with King John? That's what this is all about, isn't it? You are both afraid to lose your dignity if you give up."
"Don't you dare say something like that-"
"It's only the truth, father. I'm sure you and King John only want what's best, for both your kingdoms. Then find a way to do just that, because I will not fight for you when our kingdoms are at war at last. I'm tired of fighting."
"I'm not making you anything, Charlie. Your mind is making you."
Charlotte rolled her eyes. "So now it is my fault."
Summer shrugged, and got up. "Your words, not mine."
A/N: Leave me a REVIEW, please!