Welcome to a new fanfic called "Family Secrets." This story does not take place in the movie universe. Instead it is instead an unofficial sequel to "Howl's Moving Castle". You do not need to read either the "Castle in the Air" or the "House of Many Ways." Since I started writing the story before I read either book. You will need to be familiar with the first book and the characters within it. They will be different than the movie! For instance, Madame Suliman will not appear in this story because she does not appear in the book. Equally so, Markl will not appear since he was not in the book either. While I love these characters they couldn't appear here. Instead, I will use their counterparts from the book instead. Maybe in the future I will be able to mix the universes more, but I was not able to do this time. Sorry.
Also, you may notice that the child in this story is NOT Morgan. This is not because I hate the character. It's because I started this story before reading the "Castle in Air" and did not know his character. Not that he is fleshed out much in the books. I had decided to go with a different name so that I didn't have to worry about getting his character right. I could do what I wanted. Which actually pretty close to the books anyway. It seemed that I got the right idea. Which is awesome. I will provably never use Arthur again in a fanfic, but I did want to preserve him. He deserves to be seen. So, I never changed his name back to Morgan.
Finally, for fans of the movie - you should be able to follow along without reading the book. You will be missing a lot of details, but you should be able to get the gist of it. I do fill in the relevant bits. I recommend reading the book anyway because it's awesome! Not to say that I don't love the movie. It's what got me to read the book in the first place. I couldn't finish this story without a short cameo from the movie characters. They don't do much, but they are there to bring something from the movie into this. It deserves to celebrated. Now, I won't tell you where they come into the story. You'll have to find that for yourself!
Anyway, I have talked long enough about this story - let me get on to it! Enjoy.
FAMILY SECRETS
A HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE FANFIC
Chapter 1
Living with a wizard was never easy. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise. They are temperamental, stubborn, and all-around lazy. Why clean up a room when you can just remake it? It's so obvious that any fool could see it. A wizard does not need to do a lick of work around the house. Or so my husband like to think. Howl Pendragon was the laziest and most capricious man I had ever met. I never know what he is going to do next. Which was the way he liked things. One couldn't be boring. That would be a crime! He has to keep it interesting.
He was certainly not the man I pictured I would marry. I always hoped that I find some reliable man to help compensate for my weakness. He wouldn't be pretty or wealthy or even all that interesting, but he would love me and support me. He would be there to help me when I'm eight months pregnant. Not complain about about terrible it was that he had to do work! Oh but no, I had to marry a wizard! Who couldn't even be bothered to wash a single dish. He left his lovely wife to do it. That's my Howl. He simply doesn't know how to function in everyday world. He would be lost without me. I just wish he was better at appreciating what I do.
He does try though. Usually, that takes the form a grandiose gesture. Like creating the perfect nursery. It was a sweet thought, but it lacked a lot in function and safety departments. I had to 'suggest' some revisions. Which Howl understood as 'I hate it." That started one of his episodes. He wouldn't speak to me for hours! He sulked for hours alone after that. It took a monumental effort to get him out of our room! It was really quite sad. I loved the thing! It was imaginative and quite wonderful! I told him that over and over, but he simply wouldn't believe me. He couldn't take the fact that it wasn't perfect on the first try.
Our child is going to love that room. We just needed to think more about his or her safety, that's all! Nothing really major. All quite sensible too. After all, one does need to think where you are going to put the diapers! Not all of us can simply will things into the air. One of us has to be able to use the dresser. I will end up doing the lion's share of the work. It seemed only fair that it worked well for me. Why Howl couldn't see that I didn't know. Then again Howl wasn't normal. He was Howl! One had to expect a little unpredictability. I knew that when I decided to marry him. Life with Howl would never be dull. Neither would it be easy. I just had to deal with the bad along with the good. What could I do? I loved him!
One annoying habit that Howl had picked up lately was he couldn't seem to leave me alone. Now, one would think that this would be an improvement. It wasn't. Howl wasn't really helping with menial chores. He didn't really do that. Instead, he hovered around me whenever I left our home. Which often got in the way of me getting what I needed done. People easily got imitated by him. I shopped better alone. Only he couldn't see that. I told him off about it but it only seemed to encourage the man! Instead of outright following me he would often follow me in disguise. Somehow he thought that I wouldn't notice that way. Sure, that cute little kitty just really wants to follow me. Yeah right. I am not dumb Howl! I know it's you! Just come clean already!
I understand his concern though. This is our first child and I am vulnerable. My powers really aren't working that well right now. I was told that this usually happens to witches while in my condition. My powers are supposed to return shortly after birth. Still, it was disconcerting. I was so used to my power that I became lost without it. If I didn't have Howl with me I am not sure what I do. Even if he annoyed me sometimes. He is my husband and I love him. I could never do this without him. Particularly when you think that this little beast is half Howl. He or she will be a wizard. I can't handle that on my own. I need him. He needs me. It's that simple.
Howl can be useful in other ways. Often when I wake up I feel bloated or my ankles swell up to make moving around difficult. He usually took care of my aliments without me having to ask. Which was quite sweet. It's his way of saying 'I love you.' Howl doesn't really say it very often but he does show you his feelings. He tries to take care of me even if he won't do the dishes. The thought hadn't occurred to him. Then again, that was Howl. His head was always in the clouds! The man was never really rooted in the ground. Like I expected my husband to be. Howl may not be the rock that I wanted, but he is what I need. He is warm and gentle. I always feel safe with him around.
Which helped a lot these days. For I was worried sick about the baby. What if there were complications? Who was going to deliver this thing? Howl would be useless! He's powerful wizard but he doesn't know much about this. This isn't really his thing. I needed a midwife. Only most would never dare to come near me! Howl's reputation proceeds him. Many are still pretty darned scared of him. His recent behavior wasn't helping things either. Even the blind could see that he was following me. That cat was far too flamboyant to be a stray. Yet, it had no collar and only appeared when I was around. People pick up on stuff like that. They start to talk. Then things get complicated. In other words, just another part of living with Howl Pendragon. Nothing could ever be normal. Not even shopping or getting a midwife.
Things had gotten so bad that my sister, Lettie, intervened. She was concerned about my husband's behavior and our utter lack of preparation. Rightly so, of course. I couldn't do much of anything with Howl on my heels. He just scared away too many people! Lettie could easily get around Howl. She wasn't as powerful as he was, but she was a wizard. She could avoid him if she wanted to. It didn't hurt that he wasn't fixated on her like he was with me. He honestly didn't care where she went. Lettie could make some discreet inquires as where to find someone to help. All without Howl looming in the background. I was grateful for I was entering my ninth month. The baby would come before we knew it. I had to get something together before then. Something told me that it be far from normal. I was giving birth to Howl's child, after all. Normal had nothing to do with it.
One morning I felt a little strange. I was restless and I couldn't sleep like I should. I tried not to disturb Howl but that was a lost cause. He noticed right away. I assured him that I was fine and to go back to sleep. However, he wouldn't believe me. Hell, I didn't believe myself! I had no idea what was going on. Sometime later the pain began. I was in more pain than I ever had been in before. It was so strong, so powerful that I wanted to cry. I wondered if this was the beginning of labor. I did not know for sure. I had never experienced this before! It was hard to put it into words how it felt. It just plain hurt, a lot. I tried to hide it from Howl, but that again did not work. He could always see through me. He knew when I was in pain. He tried to take it away, but it came back shortly after with a vengeance. He was of little help. I needed someone who knew what to do. Howl was not that person. I could only hope that my sister had come through. I needed help now!
We needed help! Howl wise enough to summon help. Lettie, Martha, and Mrs. Fairfax arrived shortly after. They could help me through this. Howl did not know what to do. He seemed terrified. Which was ridiculous. I was the one giving birth, not him! He would be fine. I would be doing all the hard work.
It took hours for my child to come out. In that time, I watched Howl as he went through his stages of panic. He went from pacing, to mumbling, then to complete and utter shutdown. All while waves upon waves of pain crashed down upon me. I wanted this baby out of me, NOW! If it wasn't for the experienced hand of Mrs. Fairfax I would panicked. If it wasn't for my sisters then Howl would have tried something stupid. They helped keep the situation under control. They helped me remain calm. Or at least as calm as one can be in a situation like this. I felt like everything was going to be okay. I could get through this. I would see our new child's face. I could do this! I could give birth to a new life!
Then it happened: My son was born. He came screaming into the world, but he was alive and well. I was so relieved that I started to cry! I did it. I gave birth to our son! He was perfect. He was a perfect, little version of Howl in my arms. The world couldn't be a better place. My son was born.
Howl finally calmed down. He realized that the danger was over. We were safe. He raced over to see his new son's face. The boy looked up at his father and smiled. That cemented their bond. Howl would do anything to protect him. Just as he would for me. He was a father now! This little boy was his. No one could take that away from him. This was our son. Nothing could change that. We were a family. We could finally rest.
For maybe about ten minutes that is. You see, at a wizard's home nothing is peaceful for long. Whether it's some new concoction to make Howl's hair turn a different color or some nasty rumor Howl started things are never quiet in my home. Now, I got to add a screaming baby to the mix. Which wasn't doing wonders for our sleep. It made both of us moodier than normal. I became a little short with him. While Howl performed more of over-the-topic antics. Which in turn made me that much more cranky. Nothing makes a new mother happier than taking care of two babies at once! After just a few short months I was at my breaking point. If I didn't have the help of my sisters then I don't know what I would do. Martha turned out to be a better mom than I was. She was able to calm down Arthur a lot easier than I could. Then again she was sleeping through the night! One could be more calm about things if you did that. I was so glad when Arthur finally started sleeping all night long! Things calmed down so much after that. I could finally get some sleep.
I started to realize what my husband had been doing all this time. Howl had tried numerous spells to soothe Arthur. He held him whenever he could. I even caught him singing to him a few times. He was terrible, but then again Arthur didn't care. His daddy was singing. The boy loved it! Howl also tried to use his magic constantly to entertain our son. Including countless flights at midnight. Which seemed to lull the child to sleep. Even if I didn't like it I ignored it. For the child did sleep afterwards and he never got hurt. Howl made sure of that. He was always careful when it came to his son. There were few as protective as he was. Even an army wouldn't get past Howl. Hell, the castle was more fortified than ever! He was not taking any chances. This home would be safe for his son. My husband saw to that. He was trying to be a good father. Just as he should be. He just wasn't good at all the little things. Leaving me to do most of the feeding, cleaning, and chores. Howl couldn't be bothered to do that. It seemed that the more things changed; the more they stayed the same!
It was around that time when I received a strange letter from my father. He had died some years before. How it got to me or why it took so long I do not know. For I found it on the floor one day. No one was around and Calcifer didn't know how it got in. Yet, here it was, plain as day. A note written to me by my father. A mystery itself. That's even before you read the message. Then it gets worse. I couldn't really make sense of it. I had no idea what my father was talking about! It was clear that it was a warning, but to what? There was no way for him to have known about Howl or our child. Yet, this letter mentioned them both! He mentioned his 'flaky son-in-law' and his 'colicky grandson.' There was no way for her father to have known about them. Yet, here it was in black and white. I had no idea what this meant.
I needed to ask Howl about it. At the moment though, he was teaching our son the meaning of speed. I would have to wait until they returned. Hopefully by then I would have a better idea of what was going on.
That's it for chapter 1. Chapter 2 is next!
