Babysitters

Summary: Cedric and Sofia find themselves in the role of babysitters when Sir Finlay and Gabriella leave Sapphire in their care. (References to "Magic of Memories," "Proof Positive," and "Sapphire in the Rough")

Disclaimer: I own only Sir Finlay, Gabriella, and Sapphire!

A/N: I *never* imagined anyone would have a request to see a story with some of my original characters. I'm glad the Helvetica trio gets so much love! 😊 Thanks again to MarionetteJ2X for the idea and layout for the story, as well as reference art she created to help me understand the full concept. I've taken her idea and mixed in some 'AquaTurquoise-ness' to make this just for you all! Hope you enjoy!

A/N 2: FLUFF ALERT! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! Haha!

PS: If you've not read my stories "Magic of Memories," "Proof Positive," and/or "Sapphire in the Rough," you will likely not know who in the world my OCs in here are. Lol. Just wanted to give a heads up! Also, for this story Sapphire is nine months old. For those unaware, stories dealing with Sir Finlay and his family tend to take place a little bit further in the future (a couple of months or so) than the rest of my stories, so just wanted to point that out. 😉

*Story*

In the Kingdom of Helvetica, all was rather calm and peaceful. There had been no signs of any threats or danger after the whole Sapphire-getting-abducted incident not too long ago, and for that everyone was grateful.

Gabriella was humming a song as she swayed back and forth in her husband's workshop, dancing with her tiny silver-haired daughter, who was cooing and clinging to her. She smiled playfully as she kissed the girl's nose, causing the baby to giggle. "You like this song, Sapphire?"

"Aww, our Little Nugget always enjoys hearing you sing, Gabby," Sir Finlay gushed, causing his wife to blush modestly. He stood up from his chair and stretched, brushing his hair behind his back and yawning. He smiled sleepily at the other two. "What's say we take in some lunch, hmm?"

"About time," Gabriella insisted with a grin. She passed the babbling baby over to him and kissed his cheek. "I'm starving."

They both turned as they heard the distinct sound of iron clanging against the heavy oak door. It was Sir Finlay's new addition so that he could better hear visitors since sometimes the sound of a cranky nine-month-old child could drown out any form of knocking.

"Enter!" Sir Finlay called. He blinked as a guard entered. "Ah, good afternoon, Wilbur." He smiled pleasantly at the salt-and-pepper-haired man before him. "How may I be of service?"

"Sir Finlay," the other man greeted in much the same respectful manner, "King Cyrus has requested your presence, as well as Mrs. Gabriella's."

"Both of us?" Gabriella asked in surprise. She glanced toward her husband, who continued rocking Sapphire while listening to the guard.

"Yes. Follow me."

In the throne room, the trio approached King Cyrus, who seemed to be in a rather good mood today. The redhaired man was laughing at some story he and his wife Queen Léonie had apparently shared, and his cheeks were as red as his hair by this point.

"Sire," the sorcerer greeted as he bowed respectfully, smiling as the king made eye contact with him. "You summoned us?"

"Oh, Finlay!" King Cyrus grinned and nodded. "Yes, I have something for you and Gabriella." He motioned to one of the guards, who handed the sorcerer a scroll. He shrugged as Sir Finlay opened it and began reading its contents. "The Kingdom of Kasselbörg has extended to you an invitation for tomorrow night. You two are to act as ambassadors for Helvetica while also earning something of a break." He smiled sincerely as the husband and wife exchanged glances before looking toward him curiously. "I think you've both earned it at this point. They have a royal ball as well, so you can truly enjoy yourselves."

"We've never been invited to a ball in another kingdom before," Gabriella remarked as she offered the king a soft smile. "Really, we rarely leave the castle, much less the kingdom." She was honestly glad of this invitation. It seemed to be a step in the right direction, especially since the king was the one offering it to them. They'd promised to make amends with each other, and though it had taken a long time, they finally seemed to have reached an understanding. Just as she was about to agree to it, a soft coo next to her snapped her out of her reverie. She glanced toward Sapphire, whom Sir Finlay was still holding. "Oh, but wait, King Cyrus…" She sighed. "We can't go."

King Cyrus frowned. "What do you mean, you can't? Of course you can! You're more than welcome to go!"

"It's not that, Your Majesty," Sir Finlay placated with a shake of his head. He smiled down at his babbling daughter before looking toward the other man. "Sapphire actually just got over a rather nasty bout of illness, and while I'd love nothing more than to bring her along with us, I believe rest would be best for her."

Gabriella sighed, an action mimicked by the king. Clearly, she was crestfallen by this realization. "I was actually really looking forward to it, too… I know you went out of your way to do this for us, Your Majesty…" She straightened up a bit, trying to hide her obvious disappointment. "I guess… We really don't have much of a choice. We wouldn't have anyone to look after her anyway, so…"

Sir Finlay hummed thoughtfully before placing a free hand on the sorceress's shoulder. "Actually, Gabby… Now that I think of it, we actually may have another option—one that could be good for both us and Sapphire."

She blinked as the king tilted his head in curiosity. "And what exactly do you have in mind, Finny?"

The silver-haired man smiled.

In Enchancia, Cedric and Sofia were taking a much-needed break from their lessons. Today's agenda had consisted of combatting harmful spells, creating a new generation of healing potions, and making the most out of a wand (including secret features most people had yet to discover). Since the lessons had been more intense than usual, Cedric had thought it necessary to cut the lessons short and give Sofia some time to collect herself.

He passed her a fly cake and smiled. "You did well, Sofia," he informed her gently as she accepted her treat.

Sofia smiled in return. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric." She held onto the fly cake for a few moments. "I didn't realize that fighting back against wicked spells would be so…draining."

"I'm sure that having the amulet might make it a tad more tiring for you. After all, it uses a certain level of magic on its own, so it may very well draw on your own energy to sustain itself. Then again, I'm just hypothesizing on that issue… That would require more study."

The princess nodded. "It might not be a bad idea…"

They ate in relative silence but were rather surprised and confused when a scroll appeared on the table between them in a puff of magical blue smoke.

Waving the smoke away, Cedric picked up the scroll and noted a familiar symbol on the outside. "It's from Helvetica." He unrolled it as Sofia looked on with interest. "It's from Sir Finlay."

Sofia hopped down from her seat and hurried over next to him, peering over his shoulder. "What does it say?"

Dear Cedric,

Fondest greetings to you and the amiable Princess Sofia, whom I suspect is probably right next to you reading at this very moment.

Both friends exchanged glances before laughing at the irony, and then they returned to reading.

I have something of an unusual but serious favor to ask. Gabriella and I have been invited to the Kingdom of Kasselbörg tomorrow night, but I'm afraid we will be unable to attend unless we find someone to look after our darling Sapphire, and there are no two people I would trust greater with the care of my daughter than you two. Also, yes, I had considered leaving the child in the care of our king and queen, but I'm afraid they wouldn't know how to handle a magical baby. I'm aware this is short notice, but I had to try.

I have never seen Gabriella so alight with excitement when she realized we were to attend another kingdom's royal ball, but I have also never seen her become so disappointed in the same instance when she realized we were likely not going to be able to go. She worries so much for Sapphire's wellbeing, as I'm sure you both can imagine, and our Little Nugget just overcame a rather serious illness and needn't travel lest it put strain on her healing system.

If it wouldn't be too much trouble, Cedric, could you or possibly you and the princess watch our daughter for a few hours tomorrow? It is only for a short time whilst Gabriella and I attend our first and likely only royal ball together, and it would mean so much to the both of us. We would extend a favor to you in return, if you would like. Merely ask and I'll comply.

I hope to hear from you soon, old friend.

Best,

Sir Finlay of Helvetica

"We could take care of Sapphire, Mr. Cedric!" Sofia enthused with a bright smile.

"Us take care of a baby?" Cedric rubbed his head in contemplation. "Sofia, half the time, I can hardly take care of myself. Never mind a child who's proven to be rather powerful and who likely possesses telekinesis. Can you imagine the state of my workshop if she were to come here? It could be a huge disaster."

Sofia shook her head. "I'll help you. I love babies! They're so cute and sweet, and they just look at you with those big pleading eyes…" She folded her hands together and offered her mentor those exact eyes she'd mentioned, a pout on her face as she inwardly grinned. He was caving. "Please, Mr. Cedric? It's only for one night…"

The sorcerer sighed. "Oh, fine…" He nodded and fished out some blank parchment and a quill. "Something tells me we're in for quite an adventure…" He began writing a response for Sir Finlay as Sofia grinned at him.

"When are we not?"

He smirked toward her as he penned the letter.

The next day in the afternoon, Cedric and Sofia waited outside at the bottom steps of the castle. Since the other royals were busy with their own chores or adventures for the rest of the day, they pretty well understood that they were on their own in this whole babysitting ordeal. A coach rolled up, and out stepped the sorcerer and sorceress of Helvetica, each holding either a basket (Sir Finlay) or a bassinette (Gabriella). Sir Finlay was dressed in a sharp tuxedo with his long hair tied into a low ponytail. Gabriella wore a dark blue velvet gown with purple detailing etched throughout the fabric. Clearly, they were dressed for the much-anticipated royal ball, and in that instant, the two Enchancian friends realized they'd made the right decision by taking on this task in order to give their comrades a night of enjoyment.

Sofia ran over to the two magic wielders and gave each of them a warm, welcoming hug. "It's so good to see you guys!" she greeted with a smile as she released them. "How was the trip?" She glanced to her side as she realized Cedric had walked up beside her, shaking the other sorcerer's hand.

"It was pleasant enough," Sir Finlay stated calmly. "I can't possibly thank you both enough for looking after Sapphire. If there's ever anything I can do to repay the favor, you need only ask."

Cedric chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll think of something." He blinked as Sir Finlay offered Sofia the basket he'd been holding. "What's this?"

The older man shrugged. "Oh, the usual… Clothes, pacifiers, bottles, diapers, backup diapers—"

The other sorcerer made a face. "Backup?"

"—cloths, bibs, baby powder, a special formula I've created for her as a milk substitute (she's evidently allergic), and the little stuffed cat toy Princess Sofia gave her last time." He smiled down at the princess, who beamed. "She rather loved that toy, Princess."

Sofia giggled. "I'm so glad."

Gabriella glanced in her own carrier, the bassinette, and smiled before handing it over to Cedric. "This is precious cargo."

One look into the carrier, and Cedric nearly melted at the sight, which was saying something for him. Little Sapphire was fast asleep under a pale blue blanket, her silver hair a shuffled mess on her head and her pillow, and her arms up near her head. In one of her hands was a pacifier. He frowned thoughtfully as the reality of the situation finally dawned on him. He was holding a baby… A real, live, breathing, sleeping, adorable baby…with powers unlike any he'd ever seen before. He felt a nervous chill rush through him.

"Again, I'm so sorry for such short notice," Sir Finlay stated, breaking the silence as Gabriella took hold of his arm.

Cedric shook his head, pulling himself from his wandering mind, and offered his friend a smile. "Don't worry about it. It's quite all right. You two go on and have a great time. We'll take care of Sapphire."

Gabriella laughed before placing her free hand on her hip. "Good, because if anything happens to my daughter, you'd better sleep with one eye open." She grinned as she saw the sorcerer gulp. "I'm kidding, Cedric. Lighten up."

"She's in good hands, mon cher," Sir Finlay assured his wife as he chuckled. "Thank you both again. We'll be back around midnight, most likely."

Sofia grinned. "It's always midnight, isn't it?"

Both parents kissed their daughter on her forehead before thanking the sorcerer and princess once more. Then they settled back into their coach and took off for the Kingdom of Kasselbörg.

The friends glanced at one another before quietly carrying each cargo back to the tower. As they walked, Cedric was beginning to feel a bit sore, as he was not used to lifting anything heavier than a wand these days. An entire human being was something else entirely. However, he made great strides to assure not to wake the sleeping child. They even took a bit longer than usual to climb the stairs just so they wouldn't stir Sapphire from her sleep.

Once they reached the top, Sofia asked a rather prudent question. "Mr. Cedric?" She smiled sheepishly at him as he opened the door to his workshop. "Couldn't you have just levitated Sapphire and her luggage upstairs instead of us carrying everything?"

Cedric paused, his mouth agape for a few moments, before sighing in frustration. "I knew I was forgetting something..." He smiled with a roll of his eyes as she snickered. Walking inside, he carefully set the bassinette onto the floor as Sofia put the basket of items on his desk. He knelt beside the little one and sighed. "I suppose she is rather…cute."

Sofia giggled as she hurried over and sat next to him, smiling fondly at the baby. "Of course she is."

"However, we must keep in mind that this 'cute' baby can also perform telekinesis without even knowing it." He shook his head as he mentally went through every possible disaster the silver-haired child could potentially create.

"Don't worry, Mr. Cedric," Sofia assured him as she patted his arm. "It'll be all right." She then got a better look at her friend, realizing his face was set in a certain manner, his eyes still gazing around his room in concern. She grinned. "Mr. Cedric… Are you pouting?"

"No," he huffed as he folded his arms. "I'm just imagining…anything and everything that could possibly go wrong."

"Mr. Cedric, everything's going to be fine. I promise." She gestured between them. "She's in good hands with you and me looking after her. We're a team!"

He sighed heavily. "I hope you're right, Sofia…"

Not even a few seconds later, a tiny soft yawn erupted from the bassinette before them. Looking down, both friends watched as the baby's bright blue eyes blinked open, gazing up at them quizzically. She dropped the pacifier she'd been holding before balling her hands into tiny fists and rubbing at her eyes, another yawn escaping her.

"Aww…" Sofia smiled with her hands over her heart.

"Hmm…" Cedric attempted to keep a straight face. He simply couldn't be taken in by all this…cuteness.

Sapphire blinked as she finally focused on Cedric and Sofia, her face contorting into one of anguish as she appeared to realize her situation. Before the friends could even react, the baby burst into tears, her voice wailing in despair.

Both sorcerer and princess pressed their hands to their ears, trying to stifle the sound.

"Mr. Cedric, do something!" Sofia called with a desperate look.

Cedric frowned, not having heard her. "What?!"

Sapphire sniffled and dialed down her wailing a bit, but not before crying out, "Mama! Papa!"

"Isn't she rather young to know words already?" the sorcerer wondered before shaking his head. "Oh, who am I kidding? The child is practically a prodigy as it is. Of course she is already talking a bit…"

"I think we need to focus on the more important matter at hand…" Heeding the child's continued cries, Sofia made a desperate dash for the supply basket and withdrew the stuffed cat. She hurried back over to the carrier and sat next to Cedric again, handing the toy to the little girl. "Sapphire, look! It's your kitty!"

Sapphire instantly stopped crying and cooed in happiness as she reached out, grasping and hugging the stuffed cat to herself. She released a squeal of delight, much to the friends' relief.

This was going to be a long evening…

The struggle to take care of an intelligent yet needy child did not go unnoticed by the friends. How could it? Feeding her was an absolute nightmare, as the food ended up more on Cedric's face than anywhere else. Wormwood, who'd flown in via the window to see the new distraction, instantly regretted his decision when the baby grabbed him in a bone-crushing hug. After that, he flew off in a huff, proclaiming he'd return when 'that wicked sack of fluff' was gone. Changing her was another adventure Cedric had pushed off onto Sofia, who obviously resented the task but did so reluctantly…after wasting two of the cloth diapers in an attempt to figure out how everything was supposed to go. For the princess, that was the worst part of the ordeal at that point.

"Oh, what is she doing now?" Cedric asked a few minutes later as he realized the baby seemed to be levitating out of her bassinette. "Sofia, she's floating!" Apparently, her telekinesis wasn't limited just to inanimate objects…

Sofia made a sound of aggravation. "Oh, great!" She hadn't felt this annoyed since her numerous failed birthday parties a while ago. "We need to catch her!"

"Well, I hate to tell you this, but I can't fly!" He withdrew his wand. "But maybe I can stop her with this…" He gaped in horror as he realized the little girl had begun grabbing books off his upper level bookshelves and was tossing them downstairs. "Hey, stop that!"

"Sapphire, get down here this instant!" Sofia called. "Come on!"

Sapphire giggled with glee as she continued tossing several objects down, some breaking against the floor and creating quite the mess in the tower.

"Oh, this is hopeless…" Cedric whined as he saw yet another book come sailing down.

"I'll clean it up," Sofia promised. "Just get her down!"

Cedric nodded and used his wand, causing the baby to float back downward. He sighed in relief as Sofia caught her. "Finally."

The princess gave the baby a stern look. "Don't you ever float that high again, Sapphire. You could have gotten hurt."

The silver-haired child merely cooed and patted Sofia's face, causing the older girl to relinquish her anguish. "Ah?"

"You're forgiven." Sofia watched as Cedric spread a few blankets he'd gotten from his closet on the floor. "Here, why don't you rest and play?" She placed the baby onto the blankets and passed her the toy she loved so much. "In fact, why don't we all rest?" She sat down and grabbed Cedric's hand, pulling him down to the floor as well—much to his surprise.

Cedric gave his apprentice a look. "A little warning next time?"

She grinned. "Sorry?"

All seemed to be calming down and going pretty well for a while before the friends realized the little girl was active again. Instead of floating this time, she was moving her hands in the air, and those sapphire eyes were concentrated on one thing. There seemed to be a rather heavy-looking mop bucket levitating before them now, and it was heading in their direction.

"Sapphire, no!" Sofia scolded. "That's dangerous!"

The baby whined a bit, as the bucket was too heavy for her currently limited magic. She broke concentration, and the bucket began to tip over.

Cedric and Sofia both realized what had happened and instantly rushed to protect the child, the bucket's water spilling and soaking them both; Sapphire, on the other hand, squealed in delight and clapped her hands while she sat, dry as ever. Both friends gave the child a deadpanned look.

"This is so…ugh!" Sofia whined a bit, something she rarely did, and pouted. "Mr. Cedric, this is hopeless!" She sat back, attempting to wring out her sopping dress and hair. "She can fly; she can do hand magic; she can destroy a tower! What's she going to do next? Take over the world?"

Cedric gave his apprentice an exhausted look before grabbing something out of the baby's basket.

"I was wrong! We never should have-!" She paused and blinked when she realized she could no longer speak. She then realized Cedric had put a pacifier in her mouth to stop her from ranting. A sour look crossed her features as she stared pointedly at her mentor.

He merely shrugged and smiled lazily. "Well, it works for babies…"

Sofia pulled the spare pacifier out of her mouth and set it aside. "Very funny, Mr. Cedric."

Sapphire giggled as she clapped her hands.

A few hours later, the tower was in the worst shape it had ever been in. The floor was a mess. Books and containers were scattered everywhere. It was just general chaos.

And Sofia and Cedric were on the floor, back to back, panting from exhaustion after having attempted, yet again, to chase down the force that was Sapphire.

Sofia groaned in pain as she collapsed against Cedric. "I…can't feel…my legs…anymore," she panted, a look of surrender on her features.

Cedric, not in much better shape with his hair thoroughly tussled and his golden bowtie coming slightly undone, nodded slightly as he lifted an arm to wipe the sweat from his face. "S-Same," he managed with a sigh.

However, while her babysitters seemed to seek relaxation, the mischievous little sorceress-to-be had other plans. Hovering in the air thanks to her magic, Sapphire spotted a butterfly flittering about Cedric's window. "Ooh!" Fascinated by it, she floated outside the window, following after the beautiful creature.

Cedric and Sofia had slowed their panting, catching their breath, when they began to realize…it was rather quiet. …Too quiet…

"Mr. Cedric?" Sofia asked tentatively.

"Yes, Sofia?" he responded in much the same manner.

"Where is Sapphire?"

As if on cue, a high-pitched squeal and giggle echoed from outside the window, causing both babysitters to jump to their feet simultaneously.

"She's outside!" Cedric yelled, near panic. He rushed to the window, only to see the child floating down toward a tree outside his tower. "Oh, fantastic!"

"Come on!" Sofia insisted as she grabbed his hand and dragged him down the staircase of the tower. "We need to get her!"

Cedric grumbled as they descended. "And this is why I don't have children! With my luck, they'd be able to float and breathe fire or something!"

Sofia ignored his ranting as they made it outside, the sun beginning to set but still enough light to see by. Looking around, she gasped as she spotted the girl near the branches of a very tall tree, her eyes focused on what appeared to be a bird's nest. "There she is!" She pointed upwards.

The sorcerer gaped at the baby. "Oh, no! She's all the way up there?!"

Sofia watched the girl carefully to make sure she didn't hurt herself or, worse, start falling.

Cedric felt his robe, checked his sleeves, and then sighed in frustration. "And I can't levitate her down either… I forgot to bring my wand while I was chasing her around."

"What are we supposed to do?" Sofia sighed. She then gasped, her features lighting up. "Wait! I got it!"

"What is it, Sofia?" Cedric didn't care for the look on his apprentice's face. It's almost as though he knew what she was about to suggest would be something either dangerous or ridiculous…or both.

"Throw me up there," she insisted, pointing toward the branches where the baby was hovering.

Yep! Completely ridiculous, indeed. "Wh-What?! I-I can't do that! You're going to get yourself hurt, and—"

The girl huffed, arms straight by her sides and her hands fisted to show she was standing her ground. "I'll be fine, Mr. Cedric. Sapphire's safety is more important, unless you want to climb your way up there?"

He stared at her for a few moments before relenting. "Ooh! Fine!" He knelt down and carefully placed his hands around her waist. "I hope you know what you're doing. I can't guarantee that I could throw you all the way towards her."

She gave her friend a determined look. "Don't worry, Mr. Cedric. I know you can do it. I know you'll catch us both. Think of it as a 'trust-fall' exercise."

He gave his apprentice a pointed look. "If you say so, Sofia…" Gathering all his energy, he picked up the princess and tossed her up as high as his strength would allow.

Sofia held out her arms, grabbing the surprised baby and holding her closely to herself. "Gotcha!" she cheered, causing Sapphire to giggle.

"Mah!" the little one squealed as she threw her arms around the other girl's neck.

The momentum switched, and the girls began to fall back toward the earth. Before either could hit the ground, though, Cedric caught both girls in his arms, earning a squeal from Sapphire as the two friends sighed in relief, the sorcerer's forehead lightly touching his apprentice's. He collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, still holding on to them.

"Don't you ever suggest doing that again," he told Sofia seriously.

She grinned and shook her head. "I think once was enough," she agreed.

He then glanced toward the baby. "Sapphire, you should really be careful what you're doing. You could have gotten hurt!"

Sofia noticed the baby beginning to form tears again and shushed her gently. "It's okay, Sapphire. Mr. Cedric is just looking out for you." She gently wiped away the little girl's tears and smiled.

Cedric sighed, feeling guilty for having caused the little one any grief. "I'm sorry…" He then scooped them both into one big hug, which caused Sofia to giggle and the baby to squeal happily. Apparently, she enjoyed hugs.

Sapphire reached out and placed one hand alongside Cedric's face and the other hand on Sofia's. "Di!" she called, her own form of 'Ceddy' for Cedric, evidently. She then grinned toward the princess. "Ya!" And that was as close to 'Sofia' as a nine-month-old child was going to get.

But they knew… They knew what she was trying to say, and despite everything and all the trouble she'd caused, both friends let out an 'aww' at the sheer adorable nature of the silver-haired girl.

Cedric helped them both up, Sofia still cradling Sapphire to make sure she stayed safe (and didn't cause any more trouble, of course). He led them back into the tower, where he located his wand and cleaned up all the messes from earlier.

They decided to embark on 'normal' baby games such as patty-cake and 'where's the baby' before noticing that the little one finally seemed to be getting sleepy. She sat on her blankets, yawning and rubbing at her eyes.

Sofia took the formula Sir Finlay had created and poured it into a bottle before passing it off to Cedric.

He picked up the baby from the blankets and cradled her, rocking her back and forth as he fed her. A content smile splayed across his face. Maybe… Maybe babies weren't so bad after all… Noticing that the little girl seemed to be drifting off to sleep, he used his wand to conjure a larger-than-average makeshift purple sofa and sat down, still rocking and gently bouncing the baby to get her to fall asleep. He gently set the empty bottle onto the floor before patting the baby's back a few times. Eventually, he felt himself growing rather tired as well.

Sofia had just finished picking up all the toys and blankets from the evening, realizing that Sapphire's parents were due back in a few short hours at this point. Since the baby seemed to finally be drifting off to sleep, it was probably best to take advantage of that quiet time and get everything organized. She yawned tiredly before glancing back at the newly-created sofa. Her eyes widened slightly, and she carefully tiptoed toward the sofa.

The princess's look of surprise changed to one of adoration. A smile made its way to her face as she realized that Cedric was fast asleep with Sapphire resting against his stomach and chest, his hand protectively resting on her back. It was probably the cutest thing she'd ever seen in her life. "Aw, Mr. Cedric…" Yawning once more, she smiled sleepily and slipped onto the sofa next to them, since it was rather roomy, and gently and loosely hugged her mentor as she also fell asleep from sheer exhaustion of the day's events.

A few hours later, a soft knock fell upon Cedric's workshop door. When no one answered, it was unlocked magically by a rather impatient Gabriella and an amused Sir Finlay following behind her. While they'd both had a wonderful time at the royal ball, Gabriella had worried constantly about Sapphire. Even still, her patient husband had offered words of comfort to the dark-haired sorceress, reminding her soothingly that their temporary 'babysitters' were practically the best choice they could have made.

Once Gabriella pushed the door open and marched inside, she was nearly about to give Cedric a piece of her mind for not opening the door, but she stopped in her tracks and instantly retracted anything she was about to say. Instead, she raised a hand to her lips to suppress a coo of delight at what she saw in front of her.

There, passed out on the large sofa, were Cedric, Sofia, and Sapphire. Cedric had his left arm protectively draped around Sofia and his right hand still resting on Sapphire's back. They all appeared to be positively worn out.

"I guess you were right, Finny," Gabriella admitted with a calm smile toward her husband. "They did well."

"I told you they would."

Careful not to wake the two Enchancians, Gabriella gently lifted the sleeping Sapphire with her wand and gathered her into her arms while Sir Finlay cleaned any remaining mess in the tower and then gathered the baby's basket and bassinette with his wand as well. Quietly, the parents made their way toward the door, though Sir Finlay paused and penned a quick note to Cedric and Sofia, placing it on the table, before they left just as quietly as they'd arrived, not having the heart to disturb the sleeping princess and sorcerer. After all, they knew what a ball of energy Sapphire could be, and anyone who had the stamina to deal with said 'ball of energy' deserved that rest, as far as they were concerned.

A few minutes after the Helvetians had left, Sofia stirred and sat up, realizing that Sapphire was no longer there. She blinked before looking down and smiling fondly upon seeing Cedric still fast asleep. She giggled and stood, walking toward the table and picking up the note Sir Finlay had left. It essentially just informed them that they appreciated everything and were heading home, and he and Gabriella both hoped they got plenty of rest.

"How could we not?" she laughed softly to herself. She walked back over to Cedric and gently shook him by the shoulder. "Mr. Cedric, wake up."

Cedric murmured to himself before turning over, falling deeper into sleep.

Sofia rolled her eyes in amusement before gathering a few fresh blankets from his closet and draping them over her sleeping mentor. She gently patted his head as he dozed away. "Good night, Mr. Cedric. I'll see you in the morning." With that, she turned and left the tower, heading off to her own bed.

The sorcerer mumbled something in his sleep before smiling contentedly, curling into the warmth of the blankets as the stars shimmered dimly in the night sky.

The end

PS: Wormwood came back in the morning, after 'that scary little human' was gone for good. Haha. :D