CHAPTER 1

It had been a week since the Witch of the Waste had been defeated, Howls contract with Calcifer broken, and Sophie's curse removed. She thought that when Howl spoke of living "Happily Ever After" he had well and truly meant it, but apparently he had just been caught up in the moment. At least that's what she assumed now, for not another word of anything having to due with happy futures had been uttered to Sophie. In the immediate days that followed Howl spent long hours at the palace discussing what ever it was he had to discuss with the King and Wizard Sulliman. When he was home it seemed he would only speak to Sophie when asked direct questions from her and avoided eye contact if at all possible. This treatment confused and frustrated her greatly.

One night after Michael had left to visit Martha she sat alone thinking far to much and concluded it was time to confront Howl.

Humph! Sophie thought, where does he come off like this? I gave him his heart back after all, the least he can do is treat me like a civilized human being!

And so she sat sewing furiously at the new dress she was making, not paying a bit of attention to it really, and thought of how Howl was going to get it once he put his polished shoe through that door. But as the hours passed she began to slow her furious pace, and think somewhat nicer thoughts towards Howl.

Maybe I am being a bit hard on him, he did after all have quite a lot to go through in such a short amount of time. And I cant imagine what the King has been demanding of him since he killed the Witch.

Sighing softly she rested her hands in her lap and stared at the hearth which seemed dark and a bit lonely with out its previous occupant. Calcifer would come in late and sleep till noon, get up and do it all again. He was a bit like Howl now, always gone never saying where he was going or what he did in the long hours he was away. She guessed he was flying around getting into trouble the way only mischievous fire demons could.

Sophie jerked out of her daze as she heard the click of the wheel above the door and watched as the knob turn down, noting the dial set for the Kingsbury Door. Sure enough a blonde flamboyant figure strode through the door and stopped dead upon locking eyes with Sophie. All thoughts fell right from her head and her heart fluttered a bit, this time having nothing to do with scarecrows.

Come on Sophie! Pull yourself together, really! She furrowed her brow and stood up trying to look busy by gathering her sewing and taking it to her cubby space beneath the stairs.

"Good evening Sophie." Howl spoke as he turned shutting the door behind him and made his was up the steps. He was still dressed in his black suit for mourning, which was truly the blue and silver jacket, and looked all together rather plain considering.

His most modest outfit yet! Thought Sophie as she pulled the curtain back and threw her dress onto her mattress. Scowling and trying to ignore her pounding heart in her ears she spun around and stumbled right over the stool in front of her.

She let out a quite un-Sophie-like squeal as she toppled down, yet just as her youthful face was about to collide with her clean floor, firm arms lock around her and pull her back upright. Gasping and wide-eyed she found herself nose to nose with Howl and him standing firmly pressed against her, or, was it she who was pressed against him? Sophie felt her cheeks heat with color and she stumbled back from him.

" Oh Howl, I-Im sorry! Thank you! I- Im afraid I haven't quite gotten used to being able to move so quickly again yet." She smoothed her hands down her dress while she spoke, then looked up to meet his gaze while shoving her unruly hair out of her face. Had her hair always been this fine? Or was it something to do with going from old white hair to young red hair again? What ever it was it was now impossible for her to do anything with so she left it down more often than not.

"You don't need to apologize Sophie, I feel obligated to rescue you from your self destructive ways. Really what would you do with out me?" Howl flashed his dazzling smile before moving to sit in the chair next to the hearth.

"Humph. Get rid of those blasted spiders for one thing!" She frowned again as she moved to have a seat next to him. Her heart began settling back to its normal pace, arguing with him always did bring her back to her sorts.

"Have Michael and Calcifer been out all day?"

"Calcifer left shortly after you did, Michael has only been gone about 2 hours though." She looked towards him thoughtfully, this was the most he'd spoken to her all week. Howl stared absentmindedly at the empty fireplace, which Sophie had cleaned earlier in the day and since Calcifer had not yet come back, was still free of ash.

After a few moments of silence it was obvious that Howl was not going to make any more attempts at conversation, so sighing Sophie got up and made her way to the kitchen.

"Ill make us some tea if you'd get a real fire going." She then proceeded to bang around a bit until she found the tea kettle, knowing exactly where it had been but thought a good clashing of pans would help the silence. Sophie made her way back to the hearth to find quite a nice fire going, but no sign of Howl.

Slither-outer! She grumbled to herself. The coward cant even sit with me through a little cup of tea!

"Boil quickly!" She spat at the tea kettle.