A Warm Hand and Caring Heart
A/N: Okay guys, this is my first attempt at a FanFiction, so don't be too hard on me here. The idea came up by watching 'Holiday in Enchancia' so if you haven't seen that episode, I suggest you watch it before reading this. The first time we hear Baileywick sing is in the very end of that episode during the song, 'Peace and Joy.' And even then, you have to listen closely and really concentrate to hear it. So i thought, 'Why haven't we heard Baileywick sing in any of the Sofia the First episodes. He didn't even sing along with the royal family and staff when they sang '(You Can Always) Count on Baileywick,' in the episode 'Baileywick's Day Off.' And he didn't sing with Sofia when she sang 'Helping Hand' in 'Baileywhoops.'
So I thought i would write a fanfiction, where Baileywick sings for once, and to none other than Princess Sofia herself! I guess this what you call a songfic? I'm not entirely sure.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First, any of its characters, or anything affiliated with it. Nor do I own the songs in the show, or the song in this story.
Enjoy, and review!
Sofia lay awake at night, tossing and turning. She just couldn't sleep no matter how hard she tried. Thankfully, however, it is a Friday night, so she could sleep in tomorrow if she wanted to. She doesn't know, but she believes it to maybe be Saturday already. She knows it is late, and doesn't know why she can't sleep. She hasn't had anything stressful happen lately, besides being a princess. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened either. Everything has been fairly normal for the most part, so she just couldn't seem to understand why she couldn't get to sleep.
After tossing and turning for hours, she finally gave up and sat up in her bed. 'What could help me get to sleep?' She paused and thought for a moment. 'Hmm... Perhaps a warm glass of milk will help. Even better would be a warm glass of chocolate milk.'
With that thought in mind, she hopped out of her big bed and opened her chifforobe. After putting her robe on over her nightgown and sliding her feet into her slippers, she started out the door and walked through the big castle halls. Her parents are long asleep by now and so are her siblings, so she can't go to them. She can't go to Cedric either because she knows he's asleep now too. So she continued to walk down the cold halls of the castle, down the large staircase, and to the kitchen. Unbeknownst to her, she forgot -one- person, one of her most loyal friends.
When she got to the kitchen, she reached up to the cabinet to get a glass,but suddenly remembered that she is too little and can't reach. 'I guess I probably should have thought of that before i came all the way down here,' she thought to herself. 'Maybe i can get it if i get up on the counter.' So she tried that too and she tried hard, but found that she simply wasn't strong enough. She sighed in frustration. 'If only there is a way for me to get a glass down,' she thought. There actually is a way.
Just as she was about to give up, a long arm reached up and took a glass down for her. Then came another arm that got another bigger glass down. The hands attached to the arms set both glassed down on the counter in front of her. The glasses were sitting slightly to her right. She turned clockwise and looked at the pajama-covered figure in front of her. The young girl noticed that the mysterious figure was definately a man, a very skinny man. She only knew of one person who matched that description. Sofia looked up and was met by a familiar pair of honest light green eyes looking down at her with concern and worry. Her assumption was indeed correct.
"Princess Sofia, what are you doing down here this late at night?" he asked kindly.
Sofia looked down as she spoke. "Um, well... I came down to get myself a warm glass of chocolate milk to help me sleep." She looked up at him again. "What time is it anyway?"
Baileywick reached into his pajama pocket and pulled out his pocket watch. He flipped it open like he always did and read the time, before closing it and putting it back in his pocket. He looked down at the girl and said, "About 12:30 p.m."
'So it is Saturday,' she thought. She looked down and said, "Oh." Then she looked up at him again. "What are you doing down here?" she asked as she went over to the big cool box in the kitchen.
"I came down to get a drink of water."
Sofia opened the door as she heard his reply. When she did, the cold immediately hit her skin and made her shiver. She felt goosebumps tickle their way down her arms and spread all over her body. As Sofia pulled the jar of milk out of the cool box and shut the door, she heard the water faucet running as Baileywick filled up his glass. Sofia put the milk jar on the counter next to the glass. She didn't notice Baileywick move over a little. Baileywick watched her as she unscrewed the lid, filled her glass halfway up, and put the lid back on the jar. Sofia walked back over to the cool box, opened the door, and struggled to lift the milk up on the shelf inside. Amidst her struggle, she didn't hear Baileywick set his glass of water down and come up behind her.
"Would you like some help, Princess Sofia?" he asked gently.
He saw her jump a little at the sound of his voice and immediately felt bad that he scared her. "I can do it myself," she replied a little sharply.
The steward was taken aback by her tone of voice. He had never heard her speak sharply to anyone or be mean in any way, shape, or form. He knew her well enough to know that there must be a reason for her sharp tone. 'Perhaps it's from her lack of sleep,' he thought to himself. He didn't know the reason behind this, but nevertheless, he took a few steps back and watched her continue to struggle. He hated that she wouldn't let him help. It was his job to do so, after all. But he just had to let her do this one on her own. After many failed attempts, she finally got it back on the shelf where it belonged and closed the door again. Then after putting the milk in the warmer, she just stood in front of it and sighed.
"I'm sorry Baileywick. I didn't mean to snap like that."
"That's okay Princess Sofia."
"No, it's not. It's just..." she sighed again and turned to look up at him. "I-I guess I'm just tired of people doing things for me all the time and waiting on me hand and foot. When I lived in the village with my mom when i was just Sofia, I would just ask for help if I ever needed it. But as soon as I became Princess Sofia, everyone began to cater to me. I mean, I can have just about anything I want at the ring of a bell. You said so yourself. Everyone will stop doing whatever they are doing just to help me, whether I want it or not. I guess i'm just not used to it quite yet. I didn't mean to snap like that though and I'm sorry."
"It's alright. It's late and you're probably tired." He knew that was the majority of it, but he wasn't going to tell her that.
"Yes, I suppose you're right."
"You know, I can't exactly put myself in your place, now, can I?" Sofia shook her head no. "But I can give you a different perspective, right?" She tilted her head to the side in confusion.
Just then, the warmer was done, so Baileywick pulled the glass of milk out of it. He got the chocolate syrup out of the cabinet and put it on the counter before holding the glass a little lower so she could see. Sofia appreciated that he was considerate enough to hold it down more to her level.
"Think of it this way," he said as he looked at the glass in his hand. "This glass is at the halfway mark, right?" he said looking down at her.
"Yes."
"But is the glass half empty,or half full?"
Sofia tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Is it a trick question?"
"No."
"Then I think it's half full."
Baileywick smiled down at the little girl because he knew she would say that. Even when she was sad or worried, she always looked on the brighter side of things-always positive in the face of negativity. "You see, most people who were feeling the way you do, would say that the glass is half empty. But-"
"But why would they say the glass is half empty, when it's clearly half full?"she cut him off. "I don't understand Baileywick."
Baileywick smiled and set the glass down. He opened the lid to the chocolate syrup and took a spoon out of the drawer. He handed the bottle to Sofia and watched her pour it in. She set it back down on the counter and Baileywick handed her the spoon. While she was stirring, Baileywick took a drink of his water. He heard a faint sound of the metal spoon hitting the sink and stopped drinking. He waited for Sofia to stop drinking before he continued to speak. She turned and looked up at him with wonder filling her big blue eyes.
"You see, when you say the glass is half full, that's your perspective, how you look at it. when other people say that it's half empty, that't their perspective, how they see it. Do you understand now?"
"Yes, I think so. That makes a lot of sense."
"Yes, it does. So the next time somebody tries to help you and you don't want it, try to see it from their perspective. they are only looking out for you as their princess. Granted, you -can- get just about anything you want at the ring of a bell, but that doesn't mean you -have- to. You are to be commended for who you are, not what you are. You are you, and I think that's wonderful.'
At first, Sofia was speechless. She never knew Baileywick felt that way. She didn't know she influenced people, especially not him. "Thank you Baileywick," she said.
"You are very welcome."
Sofia tipped her glass up and finished the rest of her milk, down to the last drop. Then she put her glass in the sink and filled it with water before turning back to Baileywick. He was just finishing his water and put his glass in the sink as well. "I bid you goodnight and I hope you sleep better this time," he said. He was just about to bow and leave, but Sofia held up her hand to stop him.
"Baileywick, wait." Once she had his attention, she looked down and clasped her hands in front of her. She twisted slightly from side to side while looking down shyly and biting her lip.
Baileywick saw this and wondered why the usually outgoing girl became so she all of a sudden. "Princess Sofia? What is it sweetie?" he asked softly.
Sofia hesitated, deciding whether or not she should ask him. Finally, she glanced up at him and asked, "Baileywick, would you...um...walk me up to my room and sing me a lullaby to help me go to sleep?"
"I don't know about that, Princess Sofia."
She looked up at him with her big icy blue and pleading eyes. "Please?"
He hated to admit it, but he knew he couldn't say no to those eyes, even if he wanted to. "Alright, but just this once, okay?"
Sofia smiled. "Okay."
Sofia slipped her small little hand in his own, which surprised him at first but he let her do it. Together they walked through the cold, quiet halls of the castle and up to Sofia's bedroom. In no time at all, she was up in her room and in her bed. Baileywick turned to pull up a chair, but Sofia pulled on his arm. He turned back to her curiously and she patted the spot beside her on the bed. He was shocked for a moment, but then remembered that she was just a little girl. And one day when she would be all grown up, he would miss these small moments and little time spent with her, with the whole royal family, for that matter.
So Baileywick made sure she was tucked in before he sat down on the edge of the bed beside her and put both slipper-covered feet on the bed. He figured he might as well ans Sofia never once objected. In fact, as soon as both feet were up on the bed, he felt her snuggle up to his arm. He looked down at her just as she looked up at him and they smiled at each other.
"Okay. I don't know many lullabies, but I do remember one that my mom used to sing to me long ago. Are you ready?"
"Mmm hmm," she replied with a nod.
"Okay. Here it goes." He then began to sing. "Sleep my child and peace attend thee,
All through the night
Guardian angels, God will send thee,
All through the night
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale, in slumber sleeping,
I, my loving vigil keeping
All through the night.
While the moon, her watch is keeping
All through the night
While the weary world is sleeping
All through the night"
While Baileywick sang, she couldn't help but notice how deep, but soothing his voice is when he does. Sofia found it hard to keep her eyes open and closed them as she listened to him sing. A small yawn escaped her mouth and the heat of the blankets on top of her was making her drowsy and more sleepy by the minute. Nevertheless, she continued to listen to him sing, finding herself wishing he would sing more often because he is actually pretty good at it. She tried to stay awake and listen to him finish the lullaby, but her eyes felt heavy with tiredness.
"O'er thy spirit gently stealing
Visions of delight revealing
Breathes a pure and holy feeling
All through the night.
Love to thee, my thoughts are turning
All through the night
All for thee, my heart is yearning,
All through...the...night."
Baileywick looked down at the little girl, who is now fast asleep on his arm. He smiled at her even though she couldn't see it and decided to skip the last verse of the lullaby because it was a little sad and because she was clearly asleep. That fact was proven when he had to pry both of her little hands and arms off from being so tightly wrapped around his. The girl had a death grip when she slept! But he managed to break free from her grasp.
He carefully slid off her bed and turned to face her. Then, he straightened the covers and pulled them over her, up to her shoulders. He watched her grab hold of them and pull them closer to her face in her sleep. He smiled down at her. He couldn't help it. She is his friend and has influenced his life so much, ever since he met her. After looking at her for a moment, he decided to get back to bed himself. He would have to get up early tomorrow... err... today, in a few hours anyway and serve the royal family. With that thought in mind, he crept out of her room and shut her doors as quietly as he could.
As he walked through the large halls of the castle, down the stairs, and back to his chambers, he couldn't help but think of how grateful he is that King Roland needed a new pair of royal slippers. If that hadn't happened, the chain of events that brought Princess Sofia and Queen Miranda into his life, would have never taken place. But they did, and oh, is he glad they did.
He smiled as he got back to his chambers, thinking about hoe life can change unexpectedly, and quickly at times. But sometimes, those changes might just might just bring you a new friend that you will grow to love and cherish forever, and that's exactly what happened to Baileywick. The steward went to bed that night, grateful to have a friend like Sofia.
As for Sofia, well, she slept soundly that night. Unbeknownst to her, a smile spread across the princess's face as she slept. She too was grateful to have a faithful friend like Baileywick, whom she knew would always have a warm, guiding hand, and a caring heart.
A/N: The song is a lullaby called "All Through the Night." I do not own it. All credit goes to its writers and singers. I used the words "faithful friend" in the end because in the song helping hand, as I mentioned in the first author's note, one line toward the end of that song says, "faithful friend of mine," sung by Sofia. Again, I don't own the song or the show.
Hope y'all liked it! Read, review, and tell me what you think of my very first FanFic!