Les Misérables

Summary: After studying about the dark past of surrounding kingdoms, Tanya asks Cedric and Sofia if any other kingdom ever had the same level of darkness. This leads to a very unexpected story, filled with despair, hope, severed and forged bonds, and preventable demise. Read Me a Story format! (Takes place 5 years after my season 5 stories)

Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First. I own Corban and some other OCs mentioned here. MarionetteJ2X owns Tanya and Nana.

A/N: There are some things implied in this story that you'll just have to interpret as you read. I promise not to overwhelm anyone with any details, but just keep in mind the type of experience and world many of these characters have had, and I think you'll figure out what the implications are. With that said… I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 12: Twisted Reality

Evening was fast approaching again, and Sofia had finally re-entered the café. When Desmond had attempted to speak to her, she'd just brushed him off, quietly telling him that she wasn't feeling well. Granted, that wasn't untrue. In fact, for a majority of her life on the streets, she'd felt unwell. Exposure to the elements, lack of proper hygiene, and no access to medical treatments would do that to someone. Still, she'd always tried to fight off the dull headaches and hunger pains and press on as best as she could.

She stood in the back of the upper room of the café, watching as Cedric gave his most powerful and heart-stirring speech yet. She could tell he meant every word, because his voice was clear, his eyes were bright, and hope just radiated from his entire being. For someone who preferred his own company to others, he sure did speak like a people person, and everything he did was for others… She lifted her hands to her heart, sighing softly. If only she could feel that passionate about something without it rejecting her in the end…

Cedric made eye contact with Sofia, smiling gently in her direction as she nodded quietly. He gestured with his head upwards and toward the window escape, mouthing in her direction, "Five minutes."

Sofia understood immediately what he was suggesting. Without so much as another glimpse in his direction, she turned and silently left the room through the roof exit.

True to his word, Cedric had followed swiftly behind Sofia a mere five minutes later, and he sat next to her on the roof of the café. Looking down from above, he could see the massive barricade he and the others had built, as well as the clear paths behind it, which offered him a bit of relief. Turning to Sofia, he nudged her lightly, garnering a soft and unexpected giggle. He'd have to try that again some other time, because he found that he quite liked hearing that sound from her. "I noticed you were rather quick."

"Her father intercepted the letter," she explained, brushing her pants off as a few bits of straw blew onto them. "I did what he asked, anyway. I delivered Desmond's letter to his precious Amber, so he should be satisfied."

Cedric shook his head. "He won't ever be satisfied as long as you're around here, Sofia… I know he's a bit of a dunce, but he means well in his own way. He wants to protect you as a good friend, but the only way he knows to do that is to send you away. What he doesn't seem to realize, though, is he's putting you in more danger by doing that."

She shrugged, tugging at some of the clothing that was beginning to bother her. The fabric was itchy and uncomfortable, and she longed for her old clothing more than she thought she would. "Little he knows, and little he cares, I think… I used to believe that he did things to protect me, but sometimes I can't help but feel like I'm just a nuisance to him."

"Hmm." Cedric was well aware that tomorrow, or whenever the troops could potentially attack, was sure to be filled with danger, treachery, and heartache. He ran the risk of dying, and so did every other person who had rallied together to help heal the Zodian land, including Sofia. So, the last thing he wanted to talk about was something negative. Desmond might not have given the girl the time of day, but since she'd put herself in a dangerous situation and volunteered to help others when she herself needed much the same, he figured the least he could do was return the favor. Therefore, he decided to talk to her—really talk to her… Something he was sure she hadn't experienced in quite some time. "Sofia…"

She eyed him curiously.

"Tell me more about you." He smiled as she blinked at him. "As much as you like."

"You have time for that?"

He shrugged. "For you? For someone who selflessly gives her all just to make someone else happy? For someone who's joined my cause without being in the original order? For someone so brave, compassionate, and strong? I have all the time in the world."

Sofia blushed, a smile lifting to her lips. "O-Oh… Well…" She sighed. "Where do I even begin?"

A few hours passed, and the duo had gotten lost in conversation. Somewhere along the way, Sofia had forgotten about her issues with Desmond, and she began to feel more drawn to Cedric instead. She'd always noticed his passionate stance and unflappable loyalty to his cause, but she'd only recently started to notice just how…attractive he was… Not the conventional attractiveness that other girls might prefer, but a mix of his intellect, loyalty, and unique features made him attractive in her eyes. But she told herself she wouldn't pursue that, even if he returned the sentiment. After all, look where it had gotten her with Desmond…

Some more time had passed, and Cedric could tell that Sofia was growing weary. "Are you all right?" he asked, pointing toward her neck as she rubbed it, sighing. "Are you in pain?"

"No more than usual," she answered perhaps a little too honestly. "It's these stupid clothes. They're itchy, and I feel like they're irritating my skin."

"I can understand why you felt the need to disguise yourself," Cedric mumbled, watching as Sofia absently tried to rub some of the dirt from her arm, failing miserably. "But you know there are also cleaning spells, right?"

"What difference does it make?" she asked, sighing. "No one seems to want to be near me anyway, so it's not like they'll ever be offended by my disgusting body." She frowned as she heard the leader chuckling, and she turned to eye him sharply. "And what's so funny?"

"Haven't you noticed that you do indeed have someone near you? And you've had someone near you for a few hours now?"

She blushed, realizing the unfortunate situation at hand. "Oh, yeah… Ugh…"

"But truthfully, being clean isn't just to help with the odor, you know. It's also for health purposes, especially if you have undiscovered injuries that have yet to be treated and such. And if you'll permit me…" He tried to appear as professional yet empathetic as possible as he cleared his throat and looked straight ahead as she looked at him. "I'll be glad to help you…with that issue."

Sofia blinked at him as she realized what he'd just offered. "So… You'll help me bathe…?"

"Oh, must you put it like that-?" He sighed, shaking his head. "Merely to make you more comfortable and less susceptible to—"

"Okay."

Cedric paused, looking directly at her now. "Sorry?"

She nodded. "Okay. I trust you, Cedric." She reached up, beginning to undo the buttons on the front of her shirt. "So, do I just disrobe here on the roof, or-?"

"Not-!" He reached over, stilling her hands. "Not out here, you silly woman. At least let me secure a private tub first, so no one will disturb us." He flushed as she smirked at him. "Not like that!"

"Hmm… I think I'm going to like being your friend, Cedric…"

Despite her bravado and humor, several minutes later, once Sofia was facing the heavy tub recently filled with magically heated water, she felt herself growing a bit shy. After all, it's not like she had ever disrobed in front of someone else, and she especially hadn't bathed in front of them. (Those other times didn't count, she'd told herself. After all, she hadn't initiated anything, and she had been too young to…) To Cedric's credit, he had offered this as a favor to her, rather than as a means to view her bare form. Even still, she couldn't stop shaking as she gripped the side of the tub, staring down at her reflection, her fingers pressing into both the water and the tub's interior texture. "Maybe this was a bad idea," she mumbled, embarrassment evident both on her face and in her voice.

"Hey." Cedric turned her to face him, smiling as he removed her hat, tossing it onto a random chair a few feet away from them. Since they were behind the café, no one else was around, and so he knew she was secure. "If you don't want to do this, it's perfectly fine. I know a full cleansing spell anyway, and it would be much faster, if that's what you'd prefer. Either way, it's only for you, Sofia… Not for me, or anyone else. I promise you."

She almost accepted the alternative, but something stopped her. Spells could do a lot, including clean away months—no, years—of filth and negative experiences. With the flick of a wand, she could be perfectly polished with proper clothing and neat hair, and she could carry on with her life. But there was something magic couldn't do. It couldn't soothe her like a warm blanket for a long period of time. It couldn't comfort her by slowly but surely erasing the reminder of the hell that was her life and negative experiences over the years. And worst of all, at least in her opinion, it couldn't replace the gentle hands of the one person who had shown her some kindness and appreciation, as he helped to take away her troubles, her pain, and her layer of despair. Despite her deep feelings for Desmond, or whatever was left of them, she knew very well that even he never would have ventured so far as to offer this to her… Her father would warn her that Cedric only wanted one thing and would likely take advantage of her, but Cedric wasn't that person. She could see it in his eyes and hear it in his passionate pleas to the people. And after all, her father was one to talk… The irony of him warning her of the dangers of men was not lost on her, and hadn't been for many, many years…

Sofia pushed those thoughts from her mind and looked up at Cedric. "It's okay, Cedric… I think I'd rather…actually bathe. It's a rare treat, after all, and there are some things that magic just can't replace." She smiled up at him as he nodded. "But you better turn around first. I wouldn't want to make you sick at the sight of my greasy, grimy skin."

"I doubt it could be worse than Greylock's after he's been frolicking in the mud with another one of his mistresses, but fair enough." He chuckled as she laughed, and he obliged her wishes, turning away from her. "Just let me know when you're settled, and I'll fetch the cloth and soap." He moved forward toward a basin, rummaging through a few of the items.

She watched him for a few moments before shaking her head. She quickly disrobed, relief flooding her as the itchy material was finally off her body. She then reached up to her hair, unfastening it and letting it down to its full length. Even though she'd magically cleaned it recently, she wanted to feel the healing warmth of water everywhere, including on her head and in her hair. Maybe it was a bit of a healing in a way… She could wash away the disappointments, the danger, and the distress she'd felt and experienced most of her life.

Slowly, Sofia stepped onto a small stool and hoisted herself into the large tub, sighing in relief as soon as her body was immersed in the water. Holding her breath, she sank underwater, relishing the comforting hold the water had on her. When she felt herself running out of air, she carefully resurfaced, sighing as she leaned against the side of the tub. She glanced over to Cedric, who was still turned around, though she could see he had the cloth and soap in his hands. "I'm ready now, I think…"

Cedric held his hand with the cloth in it up toward his eyes as he turned, slowly approaching the tub. "I know how uncomfortable this must be, so I hope this helps you realize how seriously I take your modesty."

She smiled, reaching up with one hand to carefully remove his hand from his eyes, making eye contact with him. "I appreciate it, Cedric. But like I already said… I trust you. And… And thank you for…doing this…" She turned a bit, sinking more into the water, as she saw him soaking the cloth out of the corner of her eye. "I'm not exactly sure how we got here, but… I can't say I'm upset about it…"

The leader of the followers of Merlin tried to ease the light blush that had formed on his cheeks while listening to her words. He used the soap to lather the layer of wet cloth in his hand, preparing himself for his task. To be honest, he wasn't sure how they'd gotten here either… After all, as it was mentioned earlier, magic would have done precisely the same thing he was about to do—perhaps even better. However, in his heart, he knew that one thing Sofia craved was a caring touch. She'd never had it from her parents, and only rarely had it from Desmond, who didn't seem to appreciate their friendship as much as he should (in his humble opinion). Maybe if she felt the literal touch of kindness she'd longed for all these years, regardless of what happened beyond the barricade, she could at least have that experience to hold onto, even in potential last moments… (Which he hoped would be far into the future, of course…)

Cedric gently pushed the girl's hair over her shoulder as the water soaked it through, sinking beneath the surface. He thoughtfully ran the cloth over her neck and shoulders, the soap cutting through months of dirt and grime, revealing her smooth and delicate skin beneath. He tried not to think too long or deeply about this revelation as he continued his actions, until her back, neck, shoulders, and upper arms were clean for the first time in ages. He held up the cloth, withdrawing his wand from his pocket, and tapped it to both clean and re-soap it. "I can pass this to you if you'd like to…" He trailed off, not sure how to explain his hesitancy to move forward.

Sofia realized he was talking about the front of her body, so she shook her head. "It's okay. Just a minute." She slowly turned, facing him, eyeing him silently as he hesitantly reached out, brushing the cloth over her neck and throat a few times, then down her clavicle, and across the upper part of her chest. However, he didn't venture any lower, and she smiled mischievously as she saw obvious traces of pink streaking over his cheeks. "Is the steadfast, serious, focused Cedric the Sensational blushing?"

"Sensational?" he asked, distracting himself with his fixation on the unexpected title. Anything to deter her from mentioning his reaction to the situation. "Where did that come from?"

"I don't know… It just sounded right." She smiled, reaching up to clasp her hand over his, the cloth caught between their fingers. "I can handle some of the more personal bathing, if that makes you feel better."

"Immensely," he responded, perhaps a little too honestly since she laughed. "I will help with your hair last, if you like."

She frowned, an uncertain expression on her face. She hadn't let anyone touch her hair since she was a child, when she'd learned to care for it herself. Her mother had always tugged too hard when brushing, and her father had often mimicked her cries when she'd gone through the process. Of course, nothing had scarred her as much as the unwanted tugs and pulls on her tresses when uninvited "visitors" of her father's would sneak up on her in the middle of the night… She'd vowed from a young age that no one else would ever touch her hair again. But then again… This wasn't something for pleasure or torture. This was to be done out of care and consideration… Something she hadn't experienced in a long time… "All right," she finally responded, though her voice was quite soft and unsteady.

Several minutes later, Sofia finished bathing and leaned against the side of the tub, pulling her hair from behind her and allowing it to fall over the side of the tub, the water dripping heavily to the ground. She glanced at Cedric out of the corner of her eye, watching as he used some hair potion to lather his bare hands (beautiful hands with long fingers, she noted quietly), and then sighing as those same hands found themselves lost in her drenched locks. She didn't know the last time she'd properly washed her hair, but it was soothing to feel the constant burn of her irritated and dirty scalp finally easing away. He repeated the process many times until he was satisfied, and she sighed as she heard and felt the long rush of clean water pouring from a bucket, as his free hand guided the soap from her hair.

"There you are, then," he murmured, placing the bucket aside and reaching up to her, wringing out the excess water from her hair. He used his magic to summon a towel, carefully wrapping her hair in it before she turned around in the tub to face him. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better, thanks to you," she whispered, her blue eyes glimmering in a way they hadn't done since she was very young. "I think you just missed one spot."

Cedric froze in place as he heard those words. Oh, no. He hoped she wasn't trying to insinuate anything indecent. He prided himself on being a gentleman and focusing on the cause of his people rather than the temptations often surrounding him. "W-What?"

Sofia gestured vaguely. "My face, silly."

"O-Oh…" He nodded, his mind reeling as he brandished another clean and damp cloth. "R-Right, right… Um, hold still a moment." He lifted his left hand to the back of her neck, carefully pulling her toward the tub's edge, as he delicately washed her face, paying careful attention to her eyelids, her nose, her brow, her ears, and of course, her lips… It was mesmerizing to see the dirt of the streets disappear, and the beauty of the woman in his arms emerge once more.

"Cedric," Sofia whispered, a bit startled when the cloth barely pushed past her lips, surprising her. She floated back in the tub, staring up at her friend calmly. "I'm cold…"

"Oh? Oh! Oh, um…" Swiftly, he finished cleaning her face in an efficient but more deliberate manner, and then he tossed the cloth over his shoulder. "Stay here, and I'll fetch you a towel."

She didn't have to wait long as he'd disappeared into and emerged from the café at a rather quick pace. Seeing his slight gesture, she moved to the edge of the tub, noticing that he'd used the large towel to block his vision of her form. Smiling, she climbed out of the tub and onto the stool, reaching out to the towel. However, the heaviness from the water, and her tired limbs, made standing a bit more difficult than she'd anticipated, and Sofia found herself falling both into the towel and Cedric's arms. She blushed heavily as she felt his arms instinctively close around her, as if protecting her, especially when she felt his palm and fingers against her bare spine and hip. "I'm so sorry…"

Rather than panicking (like he wanted to), Cedric sighed deeply before fully wrapping the girl in the towel, especially as a breeze picked up and caused her to shiver. "Let's get you inside and dressed so you don't catch a cold."

He had pressed a change of clothing into her unsuspecting arms as soon as they'd gone back into the building, and not long after, he'd ushered her into the lavatory, informing her that he'd wait for her. He didn't have to wait long as she soon exited the small room, his own clothing (a loose button-down white shirt and black pants) hanging from her thin frame. "I must say… You make my clothing look just a bit more sophisticated."

Sofia couldn't help laughing, especially as she held up her arms, the sleeves practically dangling off her hands. "You've got to be kidding me…" She smiled as he folded the sleeves back, tucking them up to her elbows in a more comfortable manner. "Thanks, Cedric…. For everything."

"You're quite welcome," he whispered as she carefully moved forward, and he soon found himself enveloped in a hug as she rested her head on his chest, her arms loosely pressed to his back. He rubbed her back affectionately, something he didn't know he had within him, and chuckled. "Anytime, Sofia…" For however long we have left…

Cedric had insisted Sofia attempt to get some rest after he'd used magic to dry and braid her hair, and she'd finally obliged. She was resting in a corner on an unoccupied chair, a light blanket draped over her much healthier-looking form. After watching her sleep for a little while, he decided to return to his original duties: keeping an eye out for soldiers and guarding his friends. Of course, he paused when he heard his name called, and he turned to see Greylock there. A sober Greylock, he realized, which was…odd. "What's the matter?"

"I might ask you the same thing," his friend retorted, nodding to a sleeping Sofia in the corner of the café. "What's with you and the girl?"

"We're friends, Greylock." He folded his arms. "Though I'm not sure why it's any of your concern."

"No, Cedric. Friends play silly games together, drink together, and chat with each other. They don't offer to bathe the other and then dress that person in their own clothing."

Cedric blushed heavily, realizing he was caught. "It's not what you think… I did it to help her—to make her feel some level of humanity and warmth for once in her life. While Desmond rejected her, I've seen a spark of hope in her that's kept me going…"

Rolling his eyes, Greylock chided, "I'll tell you the same thing you've always told me: stay away from girls; they're dangerous distractions. And besides, let's be honest here: hope is overrated. It's a waste of time and useless to believe in possibilities or dreams—things that will never happen."

Annoyance flooded the leader as he scoffed. "You're so negative, Greylock. You've never believed in anything, have you?"

The other man frowned, shaking his head. "I believe in you, Cedric… I believe in your passion, strength, and kindness for your fellow man." He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, a sad smile on his face. "I just don't want to see you get hurt. We may not live to see the morning, nor may anyone else, and I don't want your ending hours to be spent on the what ifs when none of us were ever meant to survive this chaos…"

Cedric noticed the heavy, solemn expression on his friend's face, and he lifted one hand to place it on his arm. "Greylock…" He was caught off guard as, suddenly, Greylock pulled him into a hug, though it was anything but enjoyable. He could feel the pain radiating off his form, especially as his body shook with emotion. Yet, he didn't cry, which alarmed and upset Cedric. Not knowing what else to do, he fully embraced his longtime friend, whispering comforting words to him, thanking him for sticking with him for so long, and promising a better tomorrow for everyone.

It was a promise he couldn't guarantee though, especially with how unsettled the moon and stars were, and with the soft march of footsteps beyond the barricade threatening their very lives…

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Exposed