A.N.: Sooo, I was able to write this faster than my last chapter, but still, I really need to work on my speed in writing and updating. At least it was just 2 weeks instead of two months like last time. I hope you can forgive me...

Aaaanyway I'm so happy right now. I completelly forgot to mention that I have a total of 22 reviews. Yay! I'm really happy about it. I really thought most people don't like this story. :) Thanks to everyone who is reading this story! And special thanks to everyone who put this story or even ungrateful being me on watch and/or best list! You guy's are really something.

Anyway I'm still lookng for a beta-reader for my english stories. It may not seem like this at the moment, but I have some stories planned in English and German. So if somebody is interested in editing my writing, just p.m me. :) So sorry for any grammar and spelling now I think I'm just babbling... Have fun (hopefully) while reading.

Last time:

"Sophie is alive. He might do something to harm her, but he would not kill her. I am his real target, not Sophie. He wants to see me crumble under his foot, not Sophie. And as long as I am not there to see him kill Sophie like he swore to me, he won't kill her. That's the only thing that is keeping Sophie alive right now at the moment. He wouldn't gain anything out of her death if I am not there to watch it! And I promise you, I will find a way to get Sophie out of there alive, even if I have to sacrifice my life to save her!"

Chapter Seven: Signs

Another three weeks had passed and there were still no signs of Sophie. All clues they had been able to find only led to a cold end. And while they were still searching for Sophie the war continued. In fact, he didn't just seem to get worse, he was getting worse. And sadly that didn't put a hold on Howls and Calcifers work to help the people. Especially now that most wizards and witches were now fighting for the Kingdom, slaughtering innocent men who had been forced to fight by two rivalling Kingdoms, instead of helping the civilians like they all swore to.

There had been several attempts from the King to break into Howls houses with soldiers to arrest him and force his apprentice to fight along the others. Up till now Howl and Calcifer were always able to deflect the attacks and keep them all save. The last failed try only laid a handful of hours back. But with the growing need of the people and the rising attacks Howl's, Calcifer's and Michael's short breaks were getting lesser and shorter. Martha did everything in her powers to help them get a good rest and was doing the household, cooking and trying to reach Letty and Ben Suliman all by herself. Only when she went to the market to get any kind of information and stocking their supplies Howl and Michael went with her, to protect and shield her from any danger.

They had tried to contact her mother, too. But they never received an answer. Two weeks ago Howl and Michael went to her mother's new home, only to find a deserted house. Calcifer had stayed behind to protect her. It seemed as if Fanny disappeared along with Martha's stepfather and the whole household. To where they never found out.

But what Howl and Michael did find out petrified her, terrorised her, frightened her to death. In the cellar they found a room, obviously used as a prison recently. Along with some blood and a faint trail of her magic lingering inside the cell, they also found silvery hair, looking awfully alike the one of a starry-haired girl. And what the wizards had suspected since they found the deserted house was only proven with this. Sophie had been held captive in here. Right under their nose in her mother's new house. They didn't know if Fanny knew about this or not, but there was no proof she was not involved.

It was so frustrating. They had been so, so, so damn close at getting Sophie finally back, only to find out that she was again out of their reach.

When Michael had told her about it, the youngest Hatter girl had broken down. Crying until there were no tears left inside her body. She had barely registered how Michael had carried her bridal style into their room they now shared, holding her until she finally let sleep take her over, holding and comforting her all the while. Howl was unrecognizable. He hadn't spoken for a whole week, locking himself into his and Sophie's bedroom, never eating, never coming out if not needed.

Since then he always had a furious look and so much hatred in his eyes that it terrified her. Whatever the rest was they found out, it put Howl through unimaginable pain, knowing what they did to his love and he wasn't there to help her. He would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to Sophie, much less able to live without her. They hadn't told Martha the details of what they found out, fearing it would break her completely.

Right now, Martha was cooking preparing a snack for all of them, since Howl and Calcifer were preparing a big spell that would protect the houses without needing the help of either Howl or Calcifer. It would weaken them to the point they wouldn't be able to perform any form of magic for quite some time, but it seemed worth at least a try. When Howl stumbled upon this spell, he had thrown quite a tantrum. He had been so angry at himself for not remembering this spell he was taught a long time ago. Had he just performed this earlier then maybe Sophie would have never been kidnapped or would have been back a long time ago.

Worriedly, Martha looked over to were Howl, Calcifer and Michael were sitting, discussing, when would be the best time to activate the spell. She noticed their pale faces, the dark circles under their eyes and their grim looks. She didn't know if the same was for Howl, but Michael had lost some pounds, so that his clothes were just hanging from his shoulders and body.

Remembering back, none of the three had really eaten anything what Martha had cooked. They often just rushed away, saying they were needed somewhere elsewhere or just too tired to do anything. If Sophie would be here, she would be devastated, seeing all her beloved ones in this state. Somehow this spiked the anger and temper of the young adolescent. Her cooking was finished, the plates and cutlery long ago on the table ready.

With a furious expression, mirroring Sophie's, she marched over to the table, slamming the pan with food down on the table, startling all three. One look on the young girls face and all three gulped, paling visibly. They knew that look everywhere, since it just so happened that another furious female had worn it quite often, since she barged into their lives as an old grandma. Momentarily forgetting the situation out there, they stared at Martha like she had grown three heads, ready to bite their own off any moment.

"Eat." Martha said in a deadly calm, low voice, a murderous look glistening in her eyes.

"U-uh, y-you s-s-see Martha, we a-aren-n't really hu-hun-hungry, we w-will just g-get a s-snack-k l-later." Michael said bravely. Only it was the wrong answer.

"Eat!" Martha demanded again, rising her voice. And last but not least firing pure with acid soaked daggers from her eyes at her love. Michael paled more than he already had, gulped again and shrunk into his seat under her glare.

Before this scene could escalate Howl decided to intervene. It wouldn't do them all any good if Martha murdered Michael in her fury. He cleared his throat.

As soon as he made a noise, the deadly glare was switched onto him. Yep. Definitive Sophie's sister. If looks could kill, they would have been gone a long time ago…

He stared emotionless into her eyes, not wanting to show any kind of fear that slowly, but surely crept into his mind.

"Do you have anything to say to this matter, Howl?" Again the girl spoke with a deadly calm voice. Pronouncing especially the anything. Howl had to be careful, or else he would be witnessing all too soon the famous Hatter wrath.

"Martha, it is really sweet of you to make us this delicious meal, but Calcifer, Michael and I are discussing some really important things right now. When we are finished, we will just get a snack like Michael said. We can always eat this food tomorrow."

As soon as he finished his saying, he realised his mistake. Oh Boy, was he into some trouble…

Michael and Calcifer seemed to catch up on this. They exchanged fear- and meaningful glances.

"Howl, you idiot, I don't know if you have noticed but Sophie already went and is still going through enough shit! Did you even think about that? You, Calcifer and Michael over there are hardly eating anything! You all don't give yourselves enough breaks to at least rest enough! When she comes back she so will not need to nurse you because you're sick because of lack of food! Or worse, you dead, because you didn't have enough energy to fight! I will not let Sophie go through this because of your egoism! I know one thing for sure Howl, when Sophie comes back and you won't be there, she is going to be more than heartbroken. She will be destroyed. And I won't sit down, lean back and watch this! I won't let that happen! And if this means, I have to force you all to eat and sleep and be prepared to fight, then by god I swear, I will do it, even if it's the last thing I do!"

Slamming her hands onto the table, she looked directly into Howl's stunned eyes and continued.

"DID YOU NOW UNDERSTAND IT, HOWL? DO YOU NOW GET IT THAT YOU HAVE TO EAT AND SLEEP? THINK JUST ONE SECOND ABOUT SOPHIE AND WHAT SHE WOULD THINK OF YOU! AND NOW ALL OF YOU! EAT! THIS! DAMN! MEAL!"

Heavy silence greeted her final words, wrapped around them, hold them. Time seemed to have stopped after the young woman's outburst, or maybe it was racing even faster. It didn't matter anymore. While her breathing became normal again she felt guilty for playing her trump card. Making them all guilty about what Sophie would think of them if she saw them now sure was a dirty trick. But if it meant that they would stay alive and fight instead of slowly but surely dying, so help her god, she would do it countless times. And just this once, the three of them ate like she demanded and were finally able to catch a good night sleep after those long weeks.

Martha had forbid herself to think to naïve but it seemed, as if they all finally made a progress, as if it was all lighter. Determined more so than ever to do everything possible to help them get Sophie back, she too, let sleep engulf her in its warm embrace.

Sophie starred blankly into the blackness of the night in her ne room. One day she had woken up and found herself into this exquisite room. The walls were painted in sky blue and had white stucco on them. A soft light blue carpet lay on the floor. One navy blue door on the left side was the only way to get in and out. One big, noble looking dresser in white and blue was on the right side, full of the expensive dresses. Right next to it was a big full length window with heavy navy blue curtains and lighter white ones. Opposite her was a matching dressing table. And last but not least the big, king-sized bed. Light blue curtains were hanging from baldachin. Navy blue sheets were under here, along with a blanket in the same colour. Only her pillows were in the same colour as her bed curtains. Blue was definitive the colour theme in her gilded cage. It was a nice room, but it would always be her cage. And it didn't stop her stepfather from beating her again and again.

But that was not the reason, why fear was engulfing her body, mind and soul. With loosing track of time and the torture she was put through she didn't notice it at first, but now she had. How long had she been here? Two Months? Or had it been more? No, it couldn't be really much more, or else there would be more signs. It wasn't showing yet and her throwing up was also a side effect of the bad food she still got and her "lessons".

She didn't know how it could possibly be still there. But it was. And she feared for the day her stepfather and future husband would notice this. She wished it wasn't there, yet she wished it wouldn't go away. She had to make some escape plans, especially if Howl needed more time in rescuing her. Her hope and love towards him was still unbroken, still as strong as ever. But now she had to be careful around the two devils visiting her.

For she feared what would happen…

Last A.N.: And like always, I really appreciate that you read my story, even if it is most of the time crap. I had some problems with Martha's speach and I'm still not satisfied how I wrote it, but I figured I couldn't do it any better, sadly. So thanks again. And I also appreciate every kind of critic, good or bad. I think you all know it by now... I hope I can update before university is starting, and hopefully until next time, goodbye, fantasyfreak17