az: hehe... I might try to push it until the wedding. XD. And after that, I may venture to pre-Castle in the Air, plot. Obviously by then I can't put the story under this title. Pendragon and cab! You two were spoiling me to write more. XD. I'll try my best. I noted all the hits I got, and I assumed there are other people reading this. I sure loved to know other opinions on this fic. Else I might be drowned with all the fluff I made. Thanks for liking/loving this fluff of mine. I myself loved writing it, especially on the kitty-Howl part. Perhaps that's why the enjoyment at reading it reaches all of you too. XD


Disclaimer: I don't own Howl's Moving Castle nor the other adaptations of the novel. If I OWNED it... won't I not post this fic here? Characters and original excerpts from the fic are copyrights of Diana Wynne Jones and Hayao Miyazaki for the anime adaptation.

WARNING: It might be plotless... it might not. But I think it is! It might also be out of character... but please forgive me if I did. Anyway... not much serious issues here, this is for light-hearted read.


Unspoken wish

Where Jenkins and Parrys play a game of hide and seek

Written by Azzie/Az aka Izumi Ishtar

o

o

CRASH!

Megan jumped as the sounds from upstairs prompt them into coming up. Sophie and Megan peered into Howl's bedroom as Michael jerked his head towards the direction wondering what else his master had done. Howell shook his head as some of his books landed on him. 'Whoa...', he gasped as Megan scolded him.

'Now what are you up to?', cried Megan, amused as Sophie couldn't hide her glee. 'It was Gareth...! I looked out to check and he suddenly came out! I was so afraid he'd see me that I slipped...', said Howell as Megan chuckled. 'Howell...', she sighed as the wizard grinned sheepishly...

XXX

'Would you like to join us for a moment? I'd like to show you something since we had some time...', said Megan to Sophie as Howell turned the knob black down and peered quickly outside closing it again. 'And I wanted to give something to both of you too...', said Megan as Howell shivered, uncomfortably. 'No... Gareth was there! Who knows what else he gonna do to me if he saw me again!', said Howl as Megan grabbed his arm.

'Howell! Do you think I couldn't protect you from my own husband--?-! Come Mari... Sophie?', said Megan as Sophie took Mari along. She turned around as Megan and Howl already passed the door. 'Calcifer... Michael! Take care while we're gone!', she said as Mari waved her farewell towards Calcifer and Michael. And then they were off.

Calcifer sighed as Michael chuckled at him. 'That kid was sweet. Can't imagine Howl had such a sweet niece too... I liked her.'

'Well... we can still meet them when they come visit later. But Calcifer... you're a genius! Never thought you even consider giving Master and his sister a moment to patch things up between them...'

Calcifer swollen himself into a large ball of colorful flame. 'Haha... don't you know? I have a lot more tricks in me. Anyway... rather I do something before he started dripping on me later if his sister never come to his wedding...', said Calcifer cheekily as Michael snorted...

XXX

Sophie walked into the grassy lane as Megan glanced back at her looking aghast, holding a brown-black tom-cat in her arms. She chuckled as Mari rushed towards her mother as the little girl wondered where her uncle had gone. Sophie joined them as she scratched the cat's ears before leaning over him. 'Coward! You cheeky thing...', said Sophie, chuckled as the cat jumped into her arms to Megan's relief.

'Really... scared the life off me! Never believed me is it that I could protect him from Gareth? Howl?', scolded Megan as she lifted Mari up. Mari grinned as the cat-Howl started yoddle-ing and purring like a silly cat he is. Sophie chuckled at his antics as Howl nuzzled his catty face onto her.

BAMM! Both women jumped as Gareth left the front door behind him with a bang. Kitty-Howl nearly squealed unkitty-like had they been closer to the house than they are. Gareth glanced towards Sophie suspiciously as he turned towards Megan. 'Where did you go yesterday? I've been looking all over--'

'I'm staying over Howell's place.', snapped Megan as kitty-Howl seemed amused and excited by this. 'How could you--? I know that you've disliked Howell that much... as much as I had been trying to be hard on him to convince Howell to manage his life better! But almost killing my brother like that--- Gareth! Howell is STILL your brother-in-law! Doing it in front of Mari regardless--', cried Megan as she ignored the occasional peek from the neighbors while Gareth kept glancing around nervously.

Sophie grinned as Gareth ushered them inside the house. 'B-but... Megan--- err, you mean you were at that no-good-- I mean Howell's place but how--? And Megan... sorry about yesterday, I told you--'

'We ran as fast as we could through the back and gone to Howell's house, if you should know--', Megan lied cleanly as Sophie chuckled at the thought. It seems the Jenkins have a natural flair for telling lies... no wonder Howell was so good in it! Megan was as much an expert in that field...

'And no excuse on such a behavior! I want you to apologise to Howell when he came in later-- and no! I don't want to see your face today! Go eat outside by yourself!', said Megan again as Gareth stared at his wife blankly. Megan turned towards Sophie as she pattted the soot-colored cat. 'Wait for me at the living room. There's something I wanted to show you...', she told Sophie as the cat purred at her.

She walked upstairs to call on Neil as Gareth went out befuddled, after the unexpected scolding from Megan.

XXX

Megan chuckled as she pointed to another picture. This one was of ten-year old Howell riding a bike and grinning happily. 'We took this during his birthday. Our dad give that bicycle as a present and that silly kid was so happy that he rode half a mile on it before finally settle in for dinner.', explained Megan as Sophie chuckled. 'Yes... Howl's so cute! I can't believe he was so adorable!', she exclaimed as the cat's tail frizzled.

'Megan... can't all those pictures wait? It was embarassing! Must you show ALL my kid pictures to Sophie--?', the cat yowled. Neil suddenly peek through the stairs as he thought he heard Howl's voice.

'Ma... is Uncle Howell here? I thought I heard something...', he asked as Megan asked him to mind his own business and told him to start revising his studies. She glanced towards Howl in return. 'Little rascal... I'll show even your baby pictures and those other collections that I still kept of you to Sophie if you don't turn back into human right this moment! Really... if only you'd help me out with housework occasionally and not just pop in and out like such a lazy-bum--', said Megan as Howl immediately turned back into himself and hugged his sister.

'Oka---y... I've changed back. So can we put the albums aside...? And I'll help you trim the lawns or anything as long as you leave those albums alone--', Howell begged almost cat-like as Megan grinned. 'Well...', she said to Sophie, '--shall we go make plans to the seamstress tonight instead? I'll give you my old wedding dress, still as intact as I last worn it though we really do need to make it fit you... and Howell, you'll need a new suit. I don't think you'll even want it if Gareth want to give you his-- And we still need to start planning how to make the wedding. Howell... you certainly won't want to make it here, are you? So since you'd want to make your wedding in this Ingary place of yours, I don't think we could invite your friends here. Last time... oh, last Midsummer's I've heard you had a disagreement with your old rugby friends, is it? So... you won't invite them. Oh... and you must have a lot of friends in this Ingary soome more... so we need to make the invitations--'

Howl made a very horrified face that Sophie felt inclined to laugh. He knew that Megan had this ability much like Mrs. Fairfax at talking people to death with a overly long speech and with Megan usually that means a whole lot of scolding! But he never thought Megan could talk at length about preparing his own wedding at it! Megan chuckled as Howell clutched her arm and burried his face onto her shoulder. 'Megan!-! Already planning my wedding?-! So soon...? Please... go look some more of those old pictures of me!-! I don't really mind that much actually! Really-- please!', cried Howell, in panic as Megan chuckled.

XXX

'Really... my little brother was such a baby...', sighed Megan as she eyed Howell who had lie his head on Sophie's lap, asleep as the women continued looking at the old albums. 'Guess had to accomodate you two in Mari and Neil's bedroom to stay the night until tomorrow when we'll do all these things we needed to do.'

'Why do you kept calling Howl a baby? You know... Megan, since you kept doing that... Howl will always act like one. Howl certainly would think you'd never trust him to take care of himself--'

'Sophie... do you know why I wanted to show these old pictures of Howell to you?', Megan sighed as she flicked an old picture where the younger version of herself was seen pushing the swings for little Howl. Sophie paused as she noticed the woman looked almost saddened. 'When you told me about what happened to Howell several days ago, I suddenly realized that my brother almost died without me knowing! And what did I do the last time I've seen him? Rattling about how useless he was and arguing about money and spoiling his nephew and niece! Even though my intentions had been to make him realize his faults and change his carefree attitude, I--'

Sophie paused in her sentence as she realized Megan was trying to sort of making her own ammendments to Howl. She began to feel bad at trying to argue with her again as Howl stirred.

'Megan is a worrywart--', came the murmur in Welsh.

Megan glared to the sleeping figure as Sophie was left puzzled. '...Howell... you idiot! I don't you calling me names when I've worried sincerely about you--! If anything happens to you, how do you think Mari, Neil and I will be? We would have never known if you even died!', snapped Megan as Howell lamely waved his hands at her, still feigning sleep. '--It turned out okay anyway... sissypuss...'

Megan snorted as she tried to turn her attention to the albums instead. But then she gave up and stashed them aside. '...Yes, because you had Sophie with you! What'll happen if she wasn't? That's why I kept trying to advise you--', she said again as Sophie wondered what is it they were talking about for her name had been mentioned. Megan grabbed her long-ignored knitting on the side table as she sighed. 'Okay... promise you won't make me worry again...', she said, feeling exasperated as Howell nodded his head woozily. '.. I know... I know. Stop nagging already... I promise I won't do anything rash again...'

'...Thank heavens! You're my only brother! Remember that--!', said Megan again as Howl muttered hoarsely. '...I know... I love you too...', said Howell as Megan rose, clearly wanting to drag him towards Neil's bedroom. 'Good that you know that! I don't want to hear you getting into trouble again. Hear and there! Sophie... if ever this boy do something stupid again, tell me, I'll spank him or whatever that I--', Megan ranted again as Sophie shrugged uneasily. Not that she doesn't agree to it, but Megan kept repeating it until she felt an urge to scream if she hear any more 'Take care of Howell' rant. But she knew Megan meant well as the women asked her to help her get Howl to bed, since the man doesn't seem to want to cooperate.

Sophie did it readily as she was glad they switched back to speaking the language she knew again. And before she'd be stuck hearing another of Megan's lecture, Sophie quickly headed towards Mari's bedroom. She paused as she watched Megan walked towards the kitchen, cleaned up all the dinner stuffs while continuing to talk by herself on how Howl should really think about her situation in return instead of his own welfare only. And then Gareth walked out into the hall as Sophie hastily entered Mari's room.

No more argument ensued between them as Sophie leaned on the bed beside Mari and closed her eyes. It doesn't even bothered her much later in the night as the door was silently opened and closed, and something furry snuggled beside her and purring in delight. Not having the energy to argue anymore about it, she wrapped her arms around the cat as night closed its curtain on them...

a

a

(TBC)


az: lol. another fluff... and I'm running out of ideas. Will end this with one more last chapter and that's it. But my mind is blank. Somehow it convinced me to finally finish my Gundam Seed Arc. Ah well... see you again. The sentence in italic are meant to be in Welsh. Since I don't have a proper translator.. I make do with this...