A/N sorry it took so long for me to post this. Just enjoying summer and trying to relax a little with my friends. I'll try to put new chapters up as much as I can. Thanz for all the support and keep it coming! (I know my grammar sucks but commas are almost gone on my keyboard and so are the exclamation points...oops?)

Howl was getting worried. Sophie and Michael were getting very suspicious. He could feel little beads of sweat on his forehead. Suddenly he had an idea. An idea that would at least get him away from the curious look on Michael's face and the sharp one on Sophie's.

"I think I'm going to go take a bath." He got up, not bothering to look over his shoulder as he knew what he would see: two pairs of suspicious eyes and one pert nose that just couldn't stay out of his business. Making his way up the stairs he could have sworn he heard Sophie mutter something, but he dismissed it in the favor of more interesting subjects...

"Slither-outerer," Sophie muttered a little loudly so that-if he was listening- Howl could hear and know she knew exactly what he was doing.

She also knew he was going away later that evening.

Something about Megan and possessed eating utensils. She supposed one of the wards Howl had placed on Megan's home without her knowledge was going wonky.

She hadn't been listening when he told her and now it didn't even matter. Howl would be gone and she could figure out just what he was up to.

But then he'd probably kept her snooping tendencies in mind...Well, he wasn't that hard to get to! She was practically his wife anyway and he couldn't hide anything from a person he lived with.

Although he'd hidden the fact that Calcifer had possessed his heart from her quite well. But now that they really knew each other Sophie couldn't imagine Howl keeping such big secrets from her again.

Except for now of course. She just knew it was something involving her. Maybe even Michael. That scratching at the door and the way he was acting toward her. He was planning something. And if it was something he didn't want her to know about...well, it must be bad.

Few and far between was how Sophie liked her doses of surprise. Surprises created trouble which often affected her the worst.

There were nasty surprises that left her wishing she were invisible. Visiting Howl's beloved teacher Mrs. Pentstemmon was an example of a horrible surprise. Also getting turned into an old woman was right up there beside it.

Nice surprises that made her feel pleased only after the shock wore away and she felt thoroughly self-conscious even though she was pleased. Like being with Howl.

Then there were surprises that were not really surprises like Sophie having to stay at the hat shop because she was the oldest of three.

And whatever Howl was working on she was afraid it was situated firmly in the 'horrible surprises' category. And Sophie didn't want herself to feel the need to be invisible ever again.

From Sophie's experiences as an old woman being wanting to be invisible was a terrible waste of time. It didn't do anything except make people pity you, maybe take advantage of you and left you feeling very put out and lonely at the end of the day.

Howl looked himself over in the tall mirror once more before exiting the bathroom. Today he was going to go and visit his family and try to hide everything so Sophie wouldn't find it.

Press the little button. I know you want to.