It's been such a long time! This entire month has been one giant guilt trip. I've been dealing with some stuff but now that it's summer I have a lot of free time on my hands so I should be updating fairly quickly. I would also like to dedicate this next chapter to my sister, today's her birthday! So happy birthday Janie!

I don't own HMC or DW, enjoy!

Two men stood in the clearing fog. The Doctor and The Terrible Wizard Howl. As small wisps of mists blew through their hair, a castle came into view. To be more specific is was less of a castle then it was a big heap of chimney pots. The Doctor, lankily built with a chiseled face, cocked one eyebrow curiously. The Wizard's reaction was much different. Howl began twitching and soon, the twitches became violent spasms, wracking his entire toothpickish body. A string of profanity emitted from his mouth.

"Howl? Are you quite alright?" The Doctor asked, concerned.

"NO! I am not quite all right! Thank you for asking!"

"Well, what is it?"

Howl pointed one trembling finger at the chimney pot house. "That," he said. "Is a very wicked place."

At those words The Doctor wasted no time in knocking briskly at the structure's depilated door.

"Hello? Anyone home? This is The Doctor calling." With a loud creak, the door opened a sliver, almost unwillingly. Almost as if it did not want any more people, certainly not The Doctor, walking it's halls. Seemingly pleased he leaped forward enthusiastically; ready to conquer whatever lurked in the dark of the corridors and then some.

"What do you think your doing?" Howls huffed.

"Oh, are you coming along or not? Don't be such a cowardly prat, get off your behind and help me! Your wife, son, dog, and adopted grandmother could possibly be trapped in there, in mortal peril!"

Howl was about to contradict The Doctor, saying that Markl was not his son, nor was Heen his dog or Granny his adopted grandmother, then decided to just keep quiet about it and follow The Doctor, no matter how horrible the thought of following that fool might be.

Sophie found herself in a strange but oddly familiar place. She had been there once before. It was Howl's world. The country called Whales. She and her family were standing on a grimy, remarkably street. Markl and Granny clung to Sophie's skirts.

"Markl." She whispered. "Don't be frightened. I do believe I know where we are."

She stopped a young man walking past them. He was rather fetching, about her age with tousled blond hair and baby blue eyes. His teeth were a bit crooked and he limped slightly.

"Aren't you a pretty thing? What can I do for ya luv?" He had a thick cockney accent, quite charming really.

"Um, yes. I was just confirming. We are in Whales?"

The man guffawed. "You mean Wales? Nah, we're not in Wales. London's where we at. East London."

Now Sophie felt like exactly what she was, a dumb foreigner. "You say we are in the country London? Would you be so kind as to tell us how to get to Wales?"

He laughed again. "You're quite confused, ya little gray mouse." He said, referring her silvery hair. Sophie reeled back in shock. Only one other person had ever called her a little gray mouse and that was Howl, on the first day they met.

"Yes, well, we're from out of town."

The blond Londoner eyed their clothing. Sophie did too. She didn't notice anything very remarkably unusual about them, although they were substantially different from everyone else's. "You Amish?" He asked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Never mind. Anyway, I suppose you would take a cab to Wales, though that would cost you a bit. I could drive you and save you some money." He grinned hopefully. It was a sweet grin, all crooked but surprisingly white teeth.

"I don't even know your name."

"It's Colin. Colin Middleton." Colin stuck out his hand. Sophie took it hesitantly.

"Sophie Pendragon. This is Markl, Granny, and Heen."

" 'S a pleasure." Colin slurred, shaking each of their hands.

Throughout the ride in Colin's horseless carriage Colin chattered incessantly. He told them about his job as a cashier at an Asian food store and his sister who lived in Leeds, anything worth commenting on in his life. Sophie hardly uttered a word.

"Where'd you say you needed to go sweetheart?"

"Wales." Sophie whispered, petrified in the front seat.

"Yes, but where in Wales. I need an address, I ain't physic, you know."

It suddenly struck Sophie that she didn't know where to go. She didn't even know why she decided to go to Wales. Frustrated, she banged her forehead against the dash.

"Feidrfair." Granny spoke up from the backseat.

"I beg your pardon?" Sophie said, baffled.

"Feidrfair, Cardigan, Wales. That's were Howl's sister lives. Her house is yellow and it has one of those funny doors with the wavy glass on it." Granny nodded decisively, seeming fairly certain of these facts.

"Megan! Of course!" Sophie smacked her forehead. How could she have been so dense! Howl's sister, Megan Rivendell was probably the only person in the entire world that could help them. "Wait, how do you know that?" She turned to the old woman sitting placidly behind her.

"I spent a fair time stalking them to blackmail Howl, you know, back when I was younger."

Colin looked a little a little taken aback by this but did not question. "We'll be there in 'bout an hour." He said quietly.

Sophie stood with Colin and the others, assessing the small lane. Unlike her first visit, in which it had been gray and drizzling, the sun was shining. The house that was in front of them was painted a brilliant, bright hue that was, without a doubt, yellow. It was the only house on the street that was that particular color.

"Do you think it's the right one Sophie." Markl asked.

"Almost certain." She replied.

"Only one way to find out." Colin declared as he led them through the garden to the front door. Sophie noticed little changes that had been made about the house's appearance. The shrubs had been pruned to a more uniform shape, the previously unoccupied patch of dirt by the stairs was now home to neat rows of alternating pink and purple flowers, the wooden sign declaring the family name had been removed. She knocked on the glass part of the door, hoping that she was at the right house. She terribly hated talking to strangers.

Sophie's fears became reality when the woman who answered was not Megan but a complete stranger. She was rather pretty, thought Sophie, she had never seen anything like her. The woman had smooth mocha colored skin, her brown-black hair was pulled away from her face to reveal remarkably plump lips, and a slightly flat nose. Charming crinkles adorned the corners of her playfully bright eyes.

"Yes?" Her accent matched Colin's. Sophie, scared stiff, did not respond so Markl stepped up.

"We were wondering if Megan was home?"

"Megan?"

"Megan Rivendell?"

Recognition flashed across the woman's face and relief across Sophie's. "Oh! You mean the Rivendells. They moved about a year ago." She watched as Sophie slumped down in despair. "But I have their address in the kitchen. Come in!" She ushered them inside. "I'm Martha by the way. Martha Stewart-Jones."

Note: I've combined the HMC book and movie so some things may be different.