Okay, sorry about the format! I know, it's really hard to read. Somewhere between my computer and the internet, things went…bad. Really, really, bad. I'll make sure it doesn't happen next chapter.

Quillswift-Thanks for being so specific about what you like! It really helps.

Moonlight at Midnight-I'm sorry about the spacing. Thanks for your support!

Artemis Obscure-Once again, I'm really sorry about the spacing. And the whole thing with Mary was that I needed somewhere for Sophie to be ALL day. Sorry about the focus problem. I really liked reading your review!

"You? Frantic?" Sophie gave one of her famous snorts in disbelief. "You probably didn't even notice I was gone until Michael told you, or if you stopped in for lunch and no one had cooked it yet."

"Sophie, you know that's not true," Howl wheedled.

Sophie looked to Michael in exasperation. "He's telling the truth," Michael said eagerly. "He came down right after I got up…in his pajamas…without fixing his hair…at all…"by the end, Michael's voice was at an awed whisper and his eyes held a slightly stunned look that must have mirrored the expression he'd wore when Howl had come down so promptly.

Sophie's jaw dropped. "He didn't ever!" she exclaimed disbelievingly.

Michael nodded solemnly. Howl shook his head. "Honestly, is it so hard to believe that I would have come out of my room without going to the bathroom first?"

But Sophie didn't reply. She was staring at his head. "Your hair is…black. Not brown. Not ginger, not blonde, not green, not pink, but the actual real color that it occurs in nature." She walked over and further examined his hair, trying not to giggle, knowing she was probably irritating him. And then, she couldn't help it, she ran her fingers through it. "Yep! It's real!" she judged gleefully.

"Sophie, can't you shut-up?" Howl grumbled. When Sophie opened her mouth to reply indignantly, Howl leaned forward and pressed his mouth on hers, shutting her up with the efficiency of Sophie cleaning.

They jerked apart as a loud thump sounded behind them. They both whipped around to see that Michael had fainted.

After straightening out poor Michael, Howl returned his attentions to Sophie. "So where did you go today?"

She shrugged and began cleaning up the jar that had spilled when Michael dropped it. "To the dressmaker's. I was sick of wearing that gray rag. It didn't fit right anymore, anyway."

"It never fit right in the first place," Howl informed her cheekishly.

She blushed and didn't reply, rather uncharacteristically.

"Sophie?" Howl asked curiously. "Is something wrong?"

"What are we doing now?" she asked abruptly. He looked at her without comprehension. "You know, about…us."

Howl sighed, as if he'd been afraid she'd ask that. Then he looked up, a decision clear on his face. "I think that you and me," he said, getting up to take her hands, "should become an us." He looked at her, waiting a decision.

She looked back up at him and smiled. "I think I'd like that," she whispered. Howl kissed her again, briefly, before giving her a last squeeze and hurrying up to his room, leaving Sophie quite confused. Sighing, she went to her cubby to prepare for bed.

Well, what did you think? Yes? No? That I should be chased off the ends of the earth by Sophie and Howl fans in angry mob form?