Hate to Burst Your Bubble

Summary: Amber stages an intervention with Desmond to relieve him of his fear of bubbles.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show, but back in the 90s I did own quite a few bottles of bubbles. :D Good times…

A/N: This was the second story that got a vote, so I wanted to write it. Besides, Desmond cracked me up during "Substitute Cedric" where he was yelling, "NOT THE BUBBLES!" :D I love that kid. ;)

"You needed to see me, Amber?" Desmond asked curiously as he peered around the corner into the dining room. He was spending the night with James, Khalid, and Zandar, but he was curious as to what the princess had to tell him.

"Come sit down, Desmond," she said with a sweet smile, making him slightly nervous. She laughed at his uncertainty and beckoned him over with her hand before patting the seat next to her. "Come on. I promise it's nothing bad."

Hesitating momentarily, the prince finally relented and walked over to his friend, sitting next to her in the designated seat. "Um…what is it you wanted to talk to me about, Amber?"

The blonde girl observed the shy boy before her and felt her lips twitching into another amused smile. "So…about your fear of bubbles…"

Desmond paused before blinking. "B-Bubbles?" He scooted back in his chair, shifting uncomfortably. "What about them?"

"You really are scared of them, aren't you?" She reached forward and placed her hand over his. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Desmond. They're simply floating balls of water."

He looked down at her hand before faltering. "N-No, they're not, Amber! They're evil!" He shivered. "You weren't there when Miss Nettle trapped the fairies in a bubble and tried to attack us. And then she stuck me in a bubble! It was…and then it was floating, and you know how I handle heights."

The blonde girl lifted one delicate eyebrow. "Horribly."

"Exactly!" He sighed and lifted his hand from hers, folding his arms in a manner that mimicked self-comfort. "It's just… I guess it's just another phobia of mine. My Aunt Nadine has suggested talking to someone about it, but no one understands."

"I do!" Amber smiled brightly as Desmond eyed her dubiously. "What? Okay, so maybe I don't have as many fears as you do; I'm obviously scared of ruffians, falsified jewelry, dangerous animals… You know, the usual."

Desmond shook his head and sighed as he hid his face in his hands. He knew Amber meant well, but there was no way she knew what it was like to be afraid of so many things. True, he'd gotten better and more confident after hanging around her and Sofia, but he still had a long way to go.

Amber giggled and grasped his hands, forcing them gently from his face. "Desmond," she began calmly, getting his attention, "there's nothing to be afraid of. Besides, if you let bubbles ruin your day, you're going to miss out on so many other wonderful things." She turned and called, "Baileywick!"

Desmond seemed confused as she released his hands. "What are you up to now?"

Baileywick entered the room and smiled patiently at Amber. "Yes, Princess Amber?"

"Did you get it?" She grinned, making the steward chuckle.

"Naturally." He moved one hand from behind his back and handed her a small jar. "Did you need anything else?"

"No, we're great. Thanks, Baileywick!" Amber smiled appreciatively as he left once more. She placed the jar onto the table and unstopped it.

Desmond leaned toward her to get a better look at the jar. "What's that?"

"You'll see…" She withdrew a small stick with a circular hole at the bottom, watching as a liquid oozed from the end and dripped slowly back into the jar. Amber lifted the stick to her lips and blew carefully, producing a small stream of bubbles that floated around their heads.

"A-Amber!" The prince shied away into his chair. "It had to be bubbles?"

"Mm." She laughed and handed him the stick. "Here. Now you try."

Obeying, he took the stick from his friend and whined. "But Amber…"

"Desmond, honestly. If you can't overcome your fear of bubbles, then you're in trouble. I promise 99% of bubbles are not evil."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, and there's that one percent left, and that's the one that I'm worried about."

"Desmond!"

He jumped at her tone and held the stick up, hesitantly blowing at the circled end. He blinked when the liquid instead popped rather than forming anything. "Hey…"

"You didn't do it right. Here." She grasped his hand and lowered it to the jar, securing more liquid.

Desmond blushed lightly but watched as she pulled his hand back up, the stick now ready. More determined, he blew through the end and watched as a steady stream of varying sizes of bubbles floated upward. He actually smiled. "Hey, this isn't so bad…"

"I told you." Amber smiled gently at him before clearing her throat and releasing his hand. She stood from the chair and clasped her hands together. "Consider that a gift from me. Use the bubbles well, Desmond." She winked and left the room, leaving behind a baffled prince.

Desmond smiled shyly before creating a few more bubbles. Maybe this was one fear he could afford to relinquish after all.

The end

A/N: Poor Desmond… :D Ah, well. Oh, yes, and sorry I've been absent for a while. It's been crazy. Our kids were testing again, and I've been running haggard all week…and it's only Wednesday now! Lol.

CedricAmber: Yeah, I remember the true stories behind many of the fairytales. So wrong. Lol. I'm surprised the kids back then weren't scarred for life. :D And yep, I get a little loopy when I'm sleepy, so I'm sure Cedric would probably be in about the same boat. Hehe. I also stay awake far later than I should. It's almost 1:00 AM here, and I leave the house at 6:30-ish each morning… BUT I usually get a three hour nap when I get home, so it pretty much balances itself out, thankfully. And glad you liked Sofia's story. ;) Yes, Cedric catches on quickly.

You know, I'm sure at SOME point we'll see him without the robe…maybe. I feel like it's part of his "skin" in a way, so it would be weird. :P Like Bugs Bunny without his gloves! *GASP* Haha! I'm not sure how skinny he would be. :p Hear that, "Sofia the First" animators? We have a new story line for you! Lol! And WOW, that took a drastic turn for Cedric's sister, huh? I really do hope we get to see her at some point. I bet she's hilarious…or evil. Who knows? Maybe she'll team up with Ivy. Lol. I'm being silly. :D Guess we'll find out (hopefully) in the future!

Everyone else: Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad that you're enjoying it (or them, rather). Not sure about any follow up stories any time soon. Still working on getting "At First Sight" updated. Hopefully by the weekend, I'll have it done. :) Have a good night! ~AquaTurquoise