A/N: I must warn you...I have portrayed poor versions of the characters but I liked the idea I had formed in the back of my mind so please bear with me in the formation of this tipsy fan fiction piece.

I do not own Howl's Moving Castle. Be it the movie or the brilliant book by Dianna Wynne Jones, I have watched, read the cine-manga, and read the original book but I probably still couldn't get a good grip on the colorful characters brought to life in any version of this wonderful story.

In Which Sophie Becomes Ill

"Ooh…I feel as if my head has been sat on…"

"You feelin' ok, Sophie?"

A pale hand pushed back the dark green curtain of her little bed and Calcifer recoiled to the far edge of the logs for a moment, his wavering eyes wide at how pale Sophie had become since the last time he saw her.

"You look pale…are you sick?" he asked, flickering as he edged further back into the center of the logs then leaned out of the fireplace a little.

"No." she shook her head a little too quickly. Making it feel as if her brain had been jostled in her skull and she rubbed her temple gingerly. "I'm alright."

Despite her young state, Sophie climbed onto the floor in the same manor she did as an old woman, straightening and brushing her nightgown a little to smooth it down over her legs. Calcifer watched her, noticing every detail that was once so easy for her was now slackened to a slower pace or didn't even occur at all. She gathered her old dress and hung it over her arm, climbing onto her bed and shutting the curtain where she changed in cramped privacy.

Her state didn't improve as she stepped out again, wondering with her eyes drooping over to the table and looking over the contents of the food basket to see what she could scrap together for breakfast. A run to the market would be necessary later; perhaps Howl would go with her since he seemed to be able to go out into public now. Yes…that would be nice. Walking with Howl on the street, Markl tailing them almost like a son.

Sophie's cheeks burned more then they already did when she had risen from her bed. The thought of a son with Howl was hard for her to imagine and yet Markl made it possible.

"Sophie, I think you should go back to bed…Howl can take care of himself. I know, I've been stuck with him for years before you set me free." Calcifer called over from the fireplace, not wanting to leave the nice dry logs in the fireplace.

"No worries, Calcifer." She smiled, shaking a few stray silver hairs from her eyes, "I'm alright. But I will need you to scoot over so that I can get a fire going to cook these few slices of bacon. I know I can't get you to bend over for me now after all so a true fire will have to do."

Calcifer grumbled, not liking the idea of a greedy fire licking away at his precious free wood.

"I'll set a few logs further back for you until I'm finished." Sophie said when she noticed how the fire demon grumbled to himself.

That seemed to make him crackle a moment, satisfied by this. For ever since Sophie broke the contract, nothing would make the fire demon bend down to cook ever again. Sophie's cooking was always delicious and it was a nice reward for making the bacon sizzle but it wasn't enough to call back his labors.

Touching her forehead a moment, Sophie sighed, closing her eyes to shut out the morning light spilling through the window of the room. She shut out the spell books and the spells left on the shelves, untouched for some time since the wizard necessities were growing slim with only the occasional spell for favorable winds at sea and soap scum removal. Oh, sweet darkness like what she had in her slumber, back when she couldn't feel her pounding head or her burning face. She must have been a sight…no wonder Calcifer was so concerned.

She prepared the logs for Calcifer and then tied a rag around her nose and mouth to make sure that if she really was sick, she wouldn't contaminate the food she was about to cook. It was better to be safe then sorry. Besides, if Markl woke up, she could always make up an excuse that the ashes were bothering her and her paleness was from the lack of sunlight.

Heen scuttled down the stairs, having escaped from Markl's bedroom most likely and was making his way over towards the fireside when even the old dog seemed to notice the way she moved slower then usual.

Crouching, Sophie gently stroked Heen's head before she started up a fire, the orange flames crackling to life. It was almost as if Calcifer was back in the same position but the fire demon farther back in the grate was proof she was just imagining things and went to the sink to wash her hands before handling the food.

She rested a few strips of bacon into the pan, dropping a bit of fat onto the floor so that Heen could chew on it as she crossed back over to the fireplace and held the familiar frying pan over the real fire. Calcifer watched the flames lick against the bottom of the pan, charring it and taking what seemed to be an eternity to heat the base of the pan, let alone fry the raw bacon inside of it.

"I wonder if Howl and Markl will be up soon…" she said, glancing up from the bacon to Calcifer who shrugged with his thin yellow arms.

"Their sleeping patterns could matter less to me. Do I get a piece of that bacon or an egg shell?"

Sophie smiled at the fallen star, "Of course, but I need to cook this first and then we'll see what I can give to you."

The familiar running steps of Markl thudded down the stairs and the boy nearly knocked the young woman over as he threw his arms around her waist. She teetered for a moment, gripping the handle of the frying pan and bracing her feet on the floor. She managed a smile down at Markl and ran her hand over his hair before he drew away from her.

"I have to go to town today, the Witch wants me to visit her at her new home."

That was a shock, Sophie didn't recall the Witch wanting Markl's company before since she gained the strength to move out. All that Sophie knew of her where-abouts was that she was staying with a wizard that was once in hiding during the wars. The Witch's powers may have been gone but she had a good knowledge of magic so when she heard of another cowardly wizard, she said her goodbyes and went to stay with him. So far…he seemed to be benefiting with her as a teacher.

"Do you want me to go with you?" she offered, not sure if the boy would be fine on his own.

"I'm alright." He said, noticing that Sophie had finished cooking the bacon. "But I can have breakfast before I go."

"Anything for a free meal, kid?" Calcifer smirked.

"Hey, I helped pay for that bacon!" Markl protested, sitting down at the table as Sophie put it onto a plate for him. He refused when she offered to make eggs as well and started on the bacon as she made a plate for Howl and a third for herself, taking a few eggs from the basket and going back to the fire where she would cook them as well.

Calcifer watched her warily as she broke one into the pan, her eyes were drooping a little more and her mouth was slightly open despite the numerous times she closed it again and shook her head to awaken herself some more. She cracked another egg after feeding the former shell to Calcifer. He munched on it, eyes not leaving her as she carefully poured the yolk of the eggs into the frying pan. She swallowed, leaning to the side a little then straightening. That's when her eyes shut and her knees gave way.

"MARKL!" Calcifer cried out to the boy who was consuming his bacon and hardly noticed until the demon cried out.

An arm immediately wrapped around from behind, steadying Sophie before she slumped too far. She immediately tried to reposition her feet into a strong stance but the arm holding her didn't let p, her reliance was still heavily on that support.

"Working a little too hard, aren't we, Sophie?"

Markl wiped tiny bits of bacon from his face, he had dropped out of his stool to go to Sophie's aid but Howl was quicker, the wizard standing behind her with his arm around her back and gripping a shoulder as she steadily opened her eyes but even then she looked too weary to move.

"No…of course not." She gained her bearings and picked up the frying pan looking down at the ruined eggs in disappointment.

Howl smiled a little, "Here, give that to me." He reached over and took the frying pan from her.

"But—"

Resting the pan on the table, he indicated Markl go back to eating and then turned back to Sophie, stepping up so close to her she tried to take a step back just to giver her room to breathe. Howl reached over and pulled the cloth covering her mouth down and observing her flustered cheeks then brushing her bangs up, touching her forehead then leaning down, pressing his forehead against his hand but his face was too close for comfort as he compared their temperatures.

"Yes…you have a fever." He said softly, his voice still so alluring even though this wasn't the time for her to feel giddy just because the man she was in love with had checked her temperature. She tested his own health similarly but this felt different…she never was the one to become ill…and Howl wasn't aware of how she felt the few times that she came so close. "Go back to bed."

"But…I have to run the flower shop and then there's the breakfast. I still need to finish it, Howl."

He slipped around beside her and pressed his hand into the small of her back, urging her to move forward, which she did rather obediently. She wrung her hands together and started to move towards her bed but Howl stopped her.

"My bed." Was all he said, steering her towards the stairs, guiding her hand to the railing and the resting his hand on her hip, other taking her free one in his so that he helped her up the stairs even though she had the railing to help her out. This was the first time Howl had been so considerate to her in some time…normally she was hardly allowed into his room and even though it was cluttered with his wizardly bits and bobs, she didn't regret her sparse visits but today any bed seemed heaven. Maybe she was sick after all.

Howl's bed was unmade; the covers had been rather carelessly tossed up away from where he once lay, perhaps from his urgency to get down to a breakfast that wasn't even there. She could still see where the bedspread was wrinkled from his body as he inclined her to sit down on the mattress.

"I imagine it is more comfortable then your little one downstairs." He said, standing before her, one of her hands still in his. "I'll see to Markl's departure to the Witch's new home but I have to admit…I am disappointed in your idea of ashen-peppered eggs as a part of my breakfast."

Sophie frowned, "I didn't mean to spill them you know." She said bitterly.

"Don't be cross." He said; applying a slight pressure to her shoulder and having her lie back upon the mattress. She slid her legs under the covers and reached for them, wishing the pillow her head was about to rest upon didn't smell so much like the potions and perfumes Howl had put into his hair in the past. The many chemical and yet wonderful smells of Howl.

"Thank you, Howl." She murmured, pulling the covers to her chin. She would worry about straightening them out when he left the room as to not offend the un-organized wizard.

He nodded his head a little. "Don't stay sick too long, Calcifer won't have anyone to bully him around."

Before Sophie could scold him, he leaned forward, Sophie immediately pressing the back of her head into the pillow to put distance between them.

"If you get too close to me, you could get sick too." She said quickly.

Howl observed the silver strands of Sophie's hair fanned out over his pillow for a moment then looked back down at her eyes. He leaned closer still and Sophie could have sworn she felt the mattress through the bottom of the pillow, she had pressed into it so firmly. The mattress sank a little on her left and then her right as he braced his hands onto the bed, pinioning her down in a way without even touching her.

"I think me becoming sick should be the least of your worries in this situation, Sophie." He said, his breath warm against her already flaming face.

With that she closed her eyes tightly as his lips touched hers then became a little more pressured as his arm slipped under her and pulled her up closer to his chest, his head tilting a little to the side as he tried to manipulate her mouth to open a little. She didn't obey this time, pushing timidly at his chest until their lips parted.

"It is the most of my worries." She murmured. "I don't like to see you ill. It…It causes too many problems for Markl and myself."

He smiled at how true this fact was.

"Very well, Sophie. Get some rest." He left the bedside without another look cast back in her direction, leaving his room with the soft snap of the door as the only sound.

Sophie's hand clung a fist-full of her dress over her heart, the organ pounding so hard she thought it would bruise her ribs. That moment when Howl had kissed her…she had always been on her feet and Howl's kisses were always so innocent to them both like the child he still seemed to be. But this time was different…a pleasant kind of different. But no matter how nice it felt…it felt as if it wasn't meant for plain, ordinary girls like her. Along with that…it wasn't for a sick woman to have either. She touched her lips lightly.

I'm sorry, Howl…

Meanwhile outside the door to Howl's room, was the young wizard himself, leaning against the wood with his eyes peering down the stairs thoughtfully but a small frown possessed his lips which still tingled with the sensation of Sophie's mouth. He enjoyed it…why didn't she? Wasn't Sophie supposed to be happy when he was happy?

I don't understand… he thought, rubbing the back of his neck. Did I have my head tilted in the wrong direction? Was my hair tickling her face so she was trying not to laugh? Did she feel guilty for not being able to make my breakfast so now she can't face me?

All self-centered thoughts…that's Howl for you.

I hope you liked it. Please review if you would like to read another chapter titled:In which Sophie Remebers.

Ta.