A/N: I got inspiration for this quick one shot from the scene when Louis intimidates the Fenner Brothers.
Disclaimer: I do not own Princess and the Frog and its characters, they belong to Disney.
Tiana had been 11 years old when she received the worst news of her life. Her father had been killed during the war.
Tiana had grown depressed and withdrawn, choosing to keep to herself most of the time. Eudora didn't know what to do for her daughter and couldn't really take the time to be with her as much since she was working two jobs.
The only time Tiana felt somewhat normal was when she was in the kitchen. Whenever she cooked, it's like she was cooking with her father again.
It had been a random Saturday that Tiana had woken up alone in the house. Her mother was already gone. Loneliness tugged at Tiana so much so that she decided she was going to try something new, something she had never done before.
Getting dressed and leaving her home, Tiana had wondered into the bayou.
The bayou had been every bit of gross as she had imagined it would be. It was hot and muggy, it smelled like a sewer, it was muddy and bugs were everywhere. Then she heard what sounded like a trumpet being played. She followed the sound of the trumpet despite her discomfort.
As she got closer, she heard sniffling as if someone had been crying. Tiana made her way through a stretch of tall grass and found two alligators. One had been rifled with bullet holes and was bloody, clearly dead. The other was bawling as it brought the trumpet back to its mouth and continued to play its sad tune.
A more sensible person would have screamed in terror and fled, but Tiana did neither. She stood there listening to the tune till at last, the gator realized it wasn't alone. It turned its sights to the young girl that was just standing there. Humans were afraid of him and the fact that this human didn't scream and run away made the alligator curious.
And then the girl started to speak.
"I know what it feels like. I lost my daddy too." Tiana had said full of empathy.
The gator just looked on.
"It's really not safe here, we should get you somewhere." The girl paused, then looked around.
"Them hunters will be back, we have to leave."
Tiana looked around sighing, it's not like this alligator could understand her. What was the point?
"You ain't afraid of me?" The gator hiccupped.
Tiana did a double take. It was either her imagination or did this alligator just talk to her?
"You can understand me?"
The gator nodded.
"Unless you wanna end up like that, we have to get you out of here."
"And go where?"
"To my house. Mama has been saying I need a friend anyway."
"You want to be my friend?"
"Yes I wanna be friends. Now please come back with me."
The gator looked at its deceased family member once more before leaving with Tiana and out of the bayou.
By the time Eudora had gotten home that evening, she was beyond exhausted. She had let herself in her house when laughter and a trumpet caught her attention. Following the commotion, she found her daughter and an alligator in her kitchen.
Wait a minute. An alligator! An alligator was in her kitchen!
"Tiana get away from that creature!" Eudora had called out.
Tiana in turn had scratched its snout and laughed again.
"Mama, this here is Louis and he's funny."
Eudora had looked at her daughter as if she was crazy. Maybe she was dreaming. This had to be a dream, right?
"Go on Louis, say something." Tiana had encouraged.
The gator looked at Eudora then to Tiana then back to Eudora.
"Hello. Nice to meet you. Did you know that the bayou is the best Jazz school in the world? That's where I learned to play."
Louis picked up his trumpet and started playing a tune.
Eudora had fainted right then and there.
A cold washrag was pressed to her forehead as Eudora slowly opened her eyes. She had seen her daughter looking at her with a worried look on her face. Then beyond her daughter she saw the alligator.
Eudora slowly sat up and took everything in.
"Tiana, explain to me why there is a talking alligator in my house."
"Well mama, you said I need a friend. And I found one."
"Why couldn't you find a girl your age to be friends with?"
"What's wrong with an alligator as a friend mama? He's all alone like I am. He lost his mama the same way I lost daddy."
Eudora just glared, then rubbed her temples. She decided then that she was out of her mind. Since what she was about to say was completely and utterly insane.
"Fine Tiana, he can stay but he's your responsibility."
Both Tiana and Louis hugged Eudora. They could stay together and be best friends.
At 19 years old, Tiana and Louis were still the best of friends. He accompanied her everywhere. To the library, to her two waitress jobs, to the grocery store, everywhere she went.
Over the years people had stopped questioning how and why a young woman was always accompanied by an alligator and just accepted that Tiana was different.
Unfortunately having a large predator constantly at your side made it difficult for people to get close to Tiana, especially men. She was honestly okay with that though. She didn't have time for romance or any of that mumbo jumbo fairy tale stuff anyway.
The two were currently making their way to the port. Louis did indeed like human food, but he needed to actually hunt to get the calories required for his massive size.
At the port, a young prince had stepped off the ship followed by his valet. The culture in New Orleans was vastly different than back home that it had captivated the young prince already. He grabbed his ukulele and started playing it as he continued his way towards the docks.
Tiana had been sitting at the far end of the docks reading a book. Her legs were dangling over the edge as she occasionally looked out towards the ocean. There were plenty of seals here in these parts. While Louis was busy catching prey, she'd accompany him. He really was her best friend.
The prince had been following a traveling band till he found himself looking at a young woman who was dangerously close to the water's edge.
Then a huge gator flew out of the water and was heading towards the girl.
"Faldi Faldonza!" The prince said in unease.
He had to do something. Unless he acted quick that girl was just about dead.
"Miss, miss get out of the way!" He called out as he ran towards the duo.
The girl ignored all attempts at moving out of the way, instead she reached her hand out towards the gator. The gator then rubbed its snout against the out reached hand.
When the prince had arrived near the girl, he heard her speaking.
"Hope you ain't too full Louis. Tonight I'm making po' boys and fries."
The prince did a double take, was this girl actually talking to an alligator?
The gator bristled as the young man walked up.
"Louis, what's wrong?"
Then Tiana half turned to the young man, looking up at him.
"Oh, hello there."
Tiana had stood up and turned to fully face the prince.
"Um, hello? Also, who were you talking to just now?" The prince's eyes darted to the gator who looked as if it was going to attack. It was bearing its teeth.
The girl looked at the prince then back to Louis. She gestured to her friend.
"I was clearly talking to Louis here. There's no one else here." Tiana had said sarcastically as if her talking to a gator was normal.
But it was only normal to her and no one else.
The prince was at a loss for words.
He had heard New Orleans was a city of voodoo and magic, good food, jazz music, Mardi Gras, beautiful women and parties all of the time. But a beautiful woman talking to an alligator? Now that was downright crazy. And he wouldn't have believed it had he not seen it himself.
"I'm sorry. But just to clarify, you were speaking with this alligator here, yes?"
Not only had the young woman rolled her eyes, but the alligator did too as if it could understand what was being said.
"I just said that. Come on Louis, let's go home. See you around newcomer."
"I'm sorry, but does this alligator understand what I am saying?"
The prince had watched the girl reach down for her basket. She put her book away and pulled out a trumpet handing it to the gator.
"Yes he understands us and he can speak too. Although it's up to him if he will speak to you or not."
Tiana and Louis left the prince standing there. Then Louis started to play the instrument.
The instrument playing tore the prince from his shock and he went following after the young woman and the alligator, now totally fascinated. He started to play his ukulele to the beat Louis had set.
The girl and her gator stopped and just stared at the prince.
"What in the world are you doing?" Tiana had asked.
The prince gave her a thousand watt smile just then.
"I'm playing my ukulele and talking to a beautiful woman who happens to have a jazz playing alligator with her."
Tiana was taken aback. This was the first time a man had actually spoken to her despite Louis being right there. Actually, this was the first time a man wasn't afraid to speak to her despite Louis being there.
Just who was this young man? Tiana wondered.
"I reckon, you ain't from around here. My name's Tiana and this is Louis, my best friend."
The gator just eyed the prince, watching his every move just in case.
"Tiana. What a beautiful name. And Louis as in Louis Armstrong?"
"Um thanks. And yes Louis as in Louis Armstrong, the famous jazz musician."
"Ashidanza! I love Jazz music." The prince cleared his throat.
"But you are right, I am not from here. I come from far away. My name is Naveen."
He decided to leave the title out of his name, for now.
"Well, Naveen from far away, it was nice meeting you. But I best be pushing on. Come along Louis, them po' boys ain't gonna cook themselves."
Tiana and the gator turned away to leave. The prince had reached out taking Tiana's hand.
"Will I see you again, Tiana?"
Tiana just blinked rapidly, she looked up into the prince's eyes just then, shock all over her face.
"New Orleans is a small city. I'm sure I'll see you around. It's not every day you see a girl with an alligator as a best friend. Well, take care now."
Tiana freed her hand and walked away with Louis hot on her heels.
The prince's valet had walked up as Tiana and the gator turned a corner.
"Sire, there you are. What on earth has gotten into you?"
The prince had looked smitten.
"Tiana. Alligator." He mumbled incoherently.
"Come again sire."
"I must see Tiana again. The beautiful woman with an alligator."
"A what now? Alligator? Sire. We must be on our way to the LeBouff mansion now."
Sighing, the prince had reluctantly agreed, wanting nothing more than to see Tiana again.
Tiana and Louis made it home. Eudora had been reading the newspaper.
"Welcome home you two. Tiana look at this. Prince Naveen is here in New Orleans visiting from Maldonia."
"A what the what now?" Tiana and Louis both said in unison.
Eudora looked at the two with a confused look. She held up the newspaper pointing to the picture of the prince on the front page.
"It says he's a prince. What's the odds of running into a prince here?"
Tiana and Louis exchanged looks. They were in the company of royalty earlier. Tiana had sassed a prince. She felt heat coming to her face in embarrassment.
"Anyway, I'm gonna make us some po' boys now."
Tiana left her mother there and Louis followed her to the kitchen.
"Well Louis ole friend, if I'm meant to see that prince again, I will."
Tiana started pulling out the ingredients for dinner.
"Looks like you better wish on that evening star then, Tiana."
Tiana rolled her eyes.
"You know wishing on stars is for babies. Besides we don't have time for that. We have to prepare for the LeBouff masquerade ball tomorrow."
"Whatever you say, Tiana." Louis had rolled his eyes as well.
Louis just plopped down and started to play his trumpet as Tiana cooked.
She secretly made a wish to the evening star that night, hoping to see Prince Naveen again.
The next night as she was serving beignets at the masquerade ball, her wish had indeed come true.
The prince had walked up to her table and she handed him a beignet.
"Good evening Tiana. It is nice to see you again."
The prince ate the beignet in a few bites.
"That was delicious. And Louis looks good up there with the band, yes?"
Tiana curtsied, smiling a bit.
"Good evening Prince Naveen. Thank you. Nice to see you again as well. And yes my best friend does look great up there."
Tiana looked up at the sky just then noting not one, but two evening stars. The prince cleared his throat then followed suit in looking towards the sky as well.
"I'd say it looks like our wishes to see one another came true."
"How did you know that? I didn't say anything."
"Your face says it all, beautiful."
Tiana had blushed and the prince took the opportunity to take her hand, kissing it.
Tiana looked up at the sky once again.
"And Tiana, it's just Naveen. When we met you did not know I was a prince. You do not have to be anything but yourself with me."
"Trust me, I'm always myself. I was just trying to be polite in using your title. Isn't it rude to not address you as such?"
The prince shrugged.
"I'm simply a man who's interested in a young woman named Tiana whose best friend is a trumpet playing alligator. While I'm here, would you do me the honor of keeping me company?"
Tiana arched a brow.
"Sure, as long as you don't mind having a trumpet playing alligator accompany us both."
"Doesn't bother me, so long as I can be with you." The prince said seriously.
Tiana smiled then looked up at the sky again.
'Thank you evening star.'
The prince ended up staying at the table with Tiana the entire night. Louis occasionally glanced in their direction from time to time. Tiana looked really happy to him, and that made him smile.
Louis glanced at the evening star, his wish had come true tonight as well.
'Thank you evening star for making Tiana smile brightly again.'
A/N: Thank you for reading my quick drabble. Hope you enjoyed it. If there's enough interest this one shot may turn into a two shot or maybe even a short story.
Read and Review, please.
Thanks!