(1434 words) 

Your POV 

Getting into the building that Jiminy's office was in, stopping outside of the door for a moment, the sign on the door reading Archibald Hopper. Gathering myself for a moment, I rose my hand to knock on the door. Before I could the door opened in front of me. Flicking my eyes up I was met with the Archie. 

"Jiminy?"

(Y/n)?" 

Smiling as he looks down at me, his face reflecting the same as I hug him tightly. "I thought you were left behind in the Enchanted Forest. 

"I guess the Queen wanted me to come along to help ease her mind." 

Chuckling gently, I pull away and look at him. "At least she didn't keep you as a cricket, that would be hard to explain." 

He laughs gently as he scratches his red hair. "Her son was one of my clients too, as well as various others in town." 

"Then why am I the only one that didn't know you were here?" 

He shook his head as he invited me in. Sitting in his chair as I sat across from him. "She most likely wanted to keep you alone, so removing me from your memories made it where you wouldn't look for me. After the curse was broken, you remembered." 

Nodding gently I hum, "I'm glad I found you, I could use some advice, and you've always been a good conscious." 

He smiles as he nods gently, turning a slight pink for a moment. "I do my best to help those that need it. What's going on?" 

My face fell for a moment, looking at my hands. Hesitating for a second before I felt him sit next to me on the couch. "(y/n) it's me, what is it?" 

Shaking slightly before nodding, I look up at him. "I just found out that Rumple has been killing people that have been a threat to me. Do you remember when I had a plan to steal some bread from the huntsmen?" 

He nods for a moment as he recalls that day. "I had told you it wasn't a good idea." He shakes his head as he smiles. 

"Jiminy! That's not what we're talking about." he chuckles gently as he nods. "okay, okay, go on." 

"Anyway, when I was running from them, I ran into the Dark One's castle. He had already known what I was there for, after the coast was clear, I left and went back to the nearby town. Then was beaten up in the bazaar by some drunk men." 

He hums as he looks at me, his hands covering mine as I fiddled with my clothes. Putting my hand over his I look up at him. "Apparently he went back and killed the huntsmen for trying to hurt me, then went after the men from the bazaar and killed them. Evidently my parents made a deal with him when I was a child, before they died with him, that he had to keep me safe from anything and everything. So I guess me wronging other people and facing the consequences counts as keeping me safe." 

He hums gently as he nods, processing everything. "That's why you're here, you accepted his deal to be his maid?" 

Nodding as I look at him he sighs heavily. "That's why I never saw you again after that day." he mumbles, his eyes  reflecting a hurt that I've never seen before. "Jiminy, I-." 

he shakes his head as he cuts me off. "Don't." he glances around the room for a second. 

"If I had the choice to go outside and see you I would have, I wasn't even allowed to open the windows for his castle. You have no idea how much I hated not being able to see you." 

He looks at me, his eyes watery for a moment before he blinks it away. Pulling me into a hug I lean into his chest and smile gently. "I'm just glad you found your way to my office." 

"You can thank Emma and Snow for that, I originally went to them first. Before they told me you were in town." 

He smiles gently. "Remind me I need to by them a drink." Laughing gently I look at him and nod, looking at him as I lean back onto the couch. 

"Any ideas on how to get through this with Rumple?" 

He breathes gently for a second. "I know he has very different ways to protect you, and he prefers to solve things through anger rather than anything else. It's what fuels his power." he stops for a moment before looking at me again. 

"If he really loves you like he says he does, then he's doing it for your own good and to honor the deal for your parents, I don't think you would have wanted them to die in vain, he knows it would hurt you." 

Nodding gently I sigh, hearing the clock on the wall go off. Glancing over to it and seeing the time, I hum gently. It's been a long day, I guess I slept in longer than I thought that I did. Turning to look at him, he smiles as he moves some of my hair. 

"You can go, now you know when you can find me, my office is always open to you." 

Smiling gently, I lean over and kiss his cheek. Feeling him tense for a moment before relaxing and giving me another hug. "I'll make sure to come see you I promise" Looking at him as I let him go for a moment, fixing his glasses as they were moved from the hug. 

Gold's POV 

Looking at the small makeup mirror that was in my pocket. It showing her with that damn cricket. Closing it and standing behind a car after she leaves the office. Heading inside and opening the door to Archie's office, him looking out the window, with a drink. 

He spun on his heels as he looks at me. Shakily putting the cup of liquor down he gulps as he sees me close the door behind me. 

"What did she talk to you about? "

"That's confidential. You know that." 

Shaking my head as I grit my teeth, I step over to her. "She came to you about what she found out today, didn't she?" 

Watching him jump a little as he tries to put more distance between us. "Sit, I came to talk." 

Sitting in a chair, he does the same, hesitantly. Tapping my cane on the carpet for a moment. "I only did it for her own good. I made a deal with her parents." 

He rubs his hands together slightly as they were clasped. "She told me about the deal, and how you kept her from seeing me again." 

"I didn't want her in danger if she was outside of the castle. People would use her to hurt me. Her being in the castle let me keep an eye on her." 

Watching him frown as I told him my brows narrowing. "Why would you care if you didn't get to see her again? You were just a cricket, you weren't capable of feelings." 

"I was a man before I became the cricket." 

Stopping as I look at him for a moment. "Why would a cricket care about not seeing her?" My gaze turns to a glare as I fume. 

"What was going on between you two!" 

"Nothing, we're only friends." 

He looks at me, his face solemn. Watching his eyes for a moment he looks away to hide his pain. 

"No, there's something more." Standing up he does the same, my cane falls to the floor as I grab him by his jacket, shoving him against the wall as I glare at him. 

"You love her don't you!?" 

"I've loved her for years! Before she even met you, her coming back into my office brought all of it back to the surface, even after all these years." 

Dropping him I growl. "A cricket fell in love with a girl." 

Adjusting his jacket he looks at me. "Please, she's not just a girl. We both know that." 

Grabbing my cane from the floor I move my hair for a second as it's in my face. "You're lucky you're friends with her. I'd turn you back into a cricket and step on you. But since I can't do that, you can help me. I'll let you see her." 

He frowns as he looks at me, nodding slightly. "If you ever hurt her I'll-" 

"You'll what? Chirp at me to death? Try again, dearie."