Chapter Text
As we walked, I stole covert glances at my angel. She seemed happier. Almost, dare I say it, lighter than she had been when she first passed through my gates. There was a noticeable spring in her step and her eyes shone bright with unbridled happiness. Although I was curious as to what could have caused this significant change, for now, I would let it be for she was truly magnificent. ‘And now I see with eye serene the very pulse of the machine; A being breathing thoughtful breath, a traveler between life and death; The reason firm, the temperate will, endurance, foresight, strength, and skill; A perfect woman, nobly planned, to warm, to comfort, and command; And yet a Spirit still, and bright with something of angelic delight.’
All too soon, we found ourselves in the presence of the remaining party. However, I couldn’t allow myself to be to put out, especially after seeing Charlie’s eyes light up as brightly as his lovely sister’s. I allowed myself to smile wide at his over-exuberant reaction upon seeing her. His excitement was certainly palpable as he yelled her name. I watched with fond amusement as he practically barreled into her, wrapping his thin arms around her small frame. “Charlie,” she wheezed. “I can’t breathe!”
“Oops! Sorry, y/n!” His arms relaxed around her, but he still clung to her form as if she were a lifeline and he was drowning. “Are you alright?” He looked up at her with worry and I felt my affection towards him strengthen even more. ‘Such a good brother. I could almost overlook the fizzy lifting drinks…almost.’ I watched with a fond smile as my angel wrapped her own arms around him and murmured into his hair. Likely reassurances that she was indeed alright.
“I don’t understand it. The children are disappearing like rabbits,” ‘As they should be. Three down, only one more to go.’ “Well, we still have each other.” I shared a smile with my soulmate before turning back to everyone else. “Shall we press on?”
“Mr. Wonka, can’t we sit down for a minute? The pace is killing me,” Mrs. Teevee protested. To be fair, the woman did look like she was miserable…ah actually, she looked like that to begin with. Oh, well.
Without giving her a chance to further whine and complain, I gently directed her to the hallway. “My dear lady, transportation has already been arranged.”
“Behold the Wonkamobile,” I said with pride. After all, I did design and engineer it myself, with some help from my diligent workers of course. I caught my little love’s gaze and couldn’t resist adding, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” I threw in a wink for good measure to get my point across to her and was rewarded with a tantalizing blush from my sweet little honeysuckle. As much as I would love to stand around and tease the irresistible creature before me, I knew I had to finish this tour. “Places please! The dance is about to begin!” I clapped my hands in order to get the remaining two nuisances’ attention. “Better grab a seat, they’re going fast!” I watched as the Teevees made themselves comfortable in the front while my sweet, delicate rosebud helped her brother climb up into the back row. I immediately grew concerned when her eyes widened in what appeared to be realization. ‘Doesn’t she ever stop overanalyzing and assessing?’ I internally groaned.
There she stood, seemingly frozen to the spot. I silently moved behind her. Bending down, I whisper, “Is everything alright, angel?” I watched with faint amusement as she shivered, but that glee quickly evaporated as I saw her try to mask the thoughts that were written so plainly on her beautiful face. “Um, what that they’re filling it up with?” She asked, jerking her head towards my workers who were busy filling the tank.
“Oh, ginger ale, ginger pop, ginger beer, beer bubbles, bubble-ade, bubble cola, double cola, double bubble burp-a-cola, and all the crazy carbonated stuff that tickles your nose. Few people realize what tremendous power there is in one of those things.” I answer her as breezily as I can despite my growing concern that she’s once again on to something. ‘Just what is going on in that pretty little head of yours, dear? Hmm?’
“Well, if that’s the case, then aren’t you the least bit concerned that they’re putting too much of it in?” She asked, blinking innocently up at me.
“What do you mean?” I asked, highly amused, but also extremely curious to see what she thinks might happen from overfilling my machine.
“I mean, that if there is that much power in those liquids that you just mentioned, judging by the amount they are pouring in, we’re liable to…oh I don’t know. Blast off into space or something!” ‘Just wait until I get you in the elevator, my dear.’
I tried to fight back a smile, but I knew it was a losing battle. “I assure you that out of all of my transportation vehicles, the Wonkamobile is the least likely to ‘blast off into space or something.’” I imitated her. She was not amused.
In response to my teasing, she crossed her arms and pouted at me. Clearly, she was unamused, but that’s perfectly fine. ‘She’s absolutely adorable when she’s annoyed.’ “I do not sound like that,” she announced before her eyes widened once more. “Hey, wait a minute. What do you mean by the least likely out of all your transportation vehicles? How many more transportation devices do you have?”
“Actually, you do! Can you do me next, Mr. Wonka?” My soon to be heir exclaimed. ‘Yes, he is the perfect choice. I could spend the rest of my days searching high and low and still, I know I wouldn’t find anyone more fitting for this role than Charlie. The boy was born for this. All he has to do is prove his loyalty and everyone will get their happy endings.’ I shot a brief, wistful look at the only woman I would go to war for. The only one I would do anything and everything for. ‘Soon.’
Turning to Charlie, I grin knowing full well the person I wanted to imitate. “You’re not squeezing me through that tiny door.” I say with a heavy German accent, quite similar to the voice of the one and only Mrs. Gloop.
“Or your son,” I add, mimicking Charlie’s response from earlier.
This simply delights the boy because as he claps at my trick, he says, “That’s amazing, sir! Can you teach me?”
“All in good time, dear boy!” I assure him. ‘There will be plenty of time to play after our workdays. I’ll show him then.’
“Now, allow me to help you up.” I placed my hands on her waist and carefully lifted my little darling into my Wonkamobile before she could protest. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to relish the feeling of her beneath my fingertips before slipping the Everlasting Gobstopper into her dress pocket. ‘There,’ I thought with self-satisfaction as I reluctantly released her. ‘Now she has a piece of me with her.’ The thought was extremely pleasing which is completely unsurprising. I know that I am an extremely possessive man. It’s one of my many flaws that I have come to accept. My past did not afford me any luxuries, so when I discover something extremely precious such as a new recipe or even more importantly, a heavenly creature who is just too pure for this treacherous world, I am determined to protect what I love at all costs and damn anyone or anything who tries to get in my way. After the betrayal of my former employees, I made sure to mark my territory so that absolutely no one could lay claim to what is mine. For my recipes, it was trademarks and patents. For my angel though…
I stole a longing glance at her left hand, specifically a particular finger. I internally sighed. For now, the Gobstopper will have to do. My gaze shifted towards her face only to find her staring straight ahead at the conspiring Teevees with unveiled suspicion. They were not exactly being secretive as they thought they were. I hopped up into the driver’s seat, eager to get on with it and getting the two parasites up front out of my beloved factory as quickly as possible. “Everybody set?” I asked.
Charlie turned to his sister with excitement shining in his bright blue eyes. “Is this going to go fast, Y/n?”
“I suppose,” she answers cautiously, glancing up at me for reassurance. I grinned.
“Now hold tight. I’m gonna really open her up this time and see what she can do,” I chirped. I was interested to see how fast it would go this time. Last time, it barely moved at all. I was delighted to find that the extra liquid did have some effect because it was definitely moving a bit faster than it had been before. It purred along so gracefully that I couldn’t help but shout. Swifter than eagles…stronger than lions!” Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end because just seconds after my exclamation, the engine began to foam up…again. I huffed in frustration. I really must get to the bottom of that particular issue. My agitation only increased as Mrs. Teevee shrieked at the mess.
Determined to drown her out, lest I say something ungentlemanly, I began to sing. “Martha! Martha! Du entschwandest!” [Translation: You disappeared!] I relished the coolness of the foam as it sprayed over my form. It was like taking a dip in a cool river on a hot, summer day. Truly refreshing. My guests, however, didn’t seem to share my thoughts.
“It’s getting in my eye!”
“Ah, mein gluck nahmst du mit dir!” [Translation: Ah, my happiness you take with you!]
“Oh, it’s even in my shoes! I’m soaked! It’ll never come out!”
“It’s sticking to my gun!”
“Geht es hin wo du entschwandest? Oder teile es mit mir.” [Translation: Does it go where you disappeared? Or do you share it with me?]
“Oh, my dress! My hair! My face! Ohhhhhh! I’m sending you the cleaning bill, Mr. Wonka!” I rolled my eyes at this as we pass through the Hsawaknow.
“I’m dry cleaned!” Mrs. Teevee gasped as she critically examined herself. My sweetheart looked immensely relieved as she touched her dress, and I felt a bit guilty. Given her background, it was probably the nicest dress she owned. She no doubt would have felt quite dejected if it had been soiled, but even if it had, that is a cleaning bill I would have absolutely no problem in paying.
“Hey, y/n. What was that we just went through?” Charlie asked his sister as she helped him hop down.
“Hsawaknow,” I answered him before my sweet girl had a chance to open her beautiful mouth.
“Is that Japanese?” Mrs. Teevee inquired, and I had to fight the urge to snort. Clearly, her foreign language skills are lacking.
“No, that’s ‘Wonkawash’ spelled backwards,” I drily informed her and was immediately rewarded with a giggle from my precious little dove. Mrs. Teevee scowled in response. I smiled to myself. “That’s it ladies and gentlemen. The journey is over.” I announced.
My darling girl looked as if she was searching for the right words to say about the experience. “Well, that was certainly something,” she eventually murmurs.
“Let’s do it again, Mr. Wonka!” Charlie exclaims with glee. I give him a fond smile as does my angel.
“You mean that’s as far as it goes?” Mrs. Teevee drawls. I grit my teeth and bite back a scathing comment in response. “Couldn’t we have walked?” her spawn asked.
I stifled a sigh and bend down to face the little unimaginative, dull child. “If the good Lord had intended us to walk, he wouldn’t have invented roller skates.” Straightening back up, I take the five pairs of white coats and goggles and begin distributing them amongst my guests. “Now would you all please put these on.” I allowed everyone except my sweet girl to take the protective outerwear. “We have to be very careful,” I say, meeting her confused stare while wrapping the coat around her beautiful body. “There’s dangerous stuff inside.” I itched to touch the amazing curves that I now knew laid beneath her dress, but I knew I needed to be a gentleman and treat her the way a lady such as herself deserves to be treated in front of others. However, I am only human which is why I cannot be blamed for stroking her cheek as I pulled away after placing the goggles securely on the crown of her beautiful head. I allowed myself a small smirk at the shiver she gave before turning to walk into the final room. ‘Finally,’ I thought with immense relief.
When we entered the television room, I was satisfied to see little Teevee’s eyes light up. So utterly predictable. From the corner of my eye, I catch the brother and sister duo whispering to one another. Unfortunately, I cannot hear what they are saying, but just as I am about to speak up, Charlie exclaims, “You’re right! Mr. Wonka what does this have to do with chocolate if you don’t mind me asking?”
My lips quirked up at the sight of my soulmate’s exasperated look towards her younger sibling. “Why, I am so glad you asked Charlie,” I say pleasantly. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Wonkavision. My very latest and greatest invention.”
“It’s television,” Mike flatly said. Honestly, you would think that he would know by now that nothing is as it seems in my factory. Perhaps I’m giving him too much credit.
“Uh, it’s Wonkavision,” I corrected the brat. “Now I suppose you all know how ordinary television works. You photograph something and-”
“Sure, I do. You photograph something and then the photograph is split up into millions of tiny pieces, and they go whizzing through the air down to your TV set where they’re all put together again in the right order.”
I internally groaned at the child’s abrasive know-it-all attitude. ‘Just like his lovely mother,’ I thought to myself as I held back the urge to roll my eyes. “You should open your mouth a little wider when you speak,” I couldn’t help but say to him before continuing on. “So I said to myself, ‘If they can do it with a photograph, then why can’t I do it with a bar of chocolate?’” I punctuated this statement by pointing to my faithful workers as they carried the large Wonka bar to the transport pad. “I shall now send this chocolate bar from one end of the room to the other,” I announce, glancing from the corner of my eye to watch my angel’s expression. She looked a bit doubtful and nervous, but also intrigued. “It has to be big because whenever you transmit something by television, it always ends up smaller on the rother end. Goggles on please.” After checking to make sure that each guest, namely the Teevees, had properly followed my instructions, I shouted, “Lights, camera, action!” As soon as the transportation was complete, I smiled. “You can remove your goggles now,” I say serenely, a stark contrast to the older woman’s shrill screech.
“Where’s the chocolate?” Charlie asks.
“It’s flying over our heads in a million pieces,” I answer while leading them all to the television set. “Here it comes.” As soon as the chocolate bar appeared, I turned to the smallest child beside me. “There it is. Take it.”
“How can you take it? It’s just a picture.” The unimaginative boy sneered. ‘Oh, ye of little faith. Little….heh.’
“All right,” I said mildly before turning to my potential heir. “You take it.”
I held my breath as Charlie looked towards my sweetheart for permission. She glances uneasily between me and the screen for a moment. ‘Come on, love. Put a little trust in me. I would rather die than bring harm to you or Charlie. Please, just trust me.’ I thought as I tried giving her my best placating smile. It seems she finally made her decision and my shoulders slumped slightly in relief when she gave her brother a small nod of approval. Without wasting a moment, the lad placed his hand through the screen without any hesitation whatsoever and I couldn’t help but beam with pride at his bravery as he pulled the chocolate bar from the television.
Both brother and sister stare at each other in wonder. “It’s real,” Charlie murmurs.
“Taste it,” I gently encourage him. “It’s delicious. It’s just gotten smaller, that’s all.”
My heart warms when he hands a piece to his older sister. ‘I can create anything in this world, but my creations would never compare to the magical wonder that is their unselfish love for one another.’
“It’s perfect,” Charlie breathes.
“It’s incredible!” His sweet, sweet sister exclaimed with pure delight.
“It’s unbelievable.”
“It’s a TV dinner.”
“It’s Wonkavision.” I repeated for the third time.
“It could change the world,” I heard my angel breath as she came closer to me. “You really are amazing, you know?” She whispered up at me, causing warmth to flood throughout my chest.
Her loving, awe-struck gaze made me falter and caused my heart to skip a beat. “Whatever do you mean, darling?” I asked. ‘What could this machine possibly do to change the world? What’s going on through that pretty little head of hers? Am I missing something?’
However, before she could elaborate, she was interrupted. “Mr. Wonka, can you send other things? Not just chocolate I mean,” the pipsqueak asked.
I was roused from my momentary trance that my own personal temptress ensnared me in. Blinking down at the boy, I attempt to appear nonchalant. “Anything you like,” I assured him.
“What about…people?”
I suppressed my smile. ‘Got ya.’ “People? Hmm…I don’t really know. I suppose I could.” Is this what my sweet girl meant when she said my invention could change the world? Human transportation? If I adjusted the mechanisms on my Wonkavision machine, could I make this possible? “I’m pretty sure I could,” I mumbled before turning to answer the little terror’s question. “But it might have some messy results,” I dully inform him, but it was clear the boy was not listening to me.
“Look at me, I’m going to be the first person in the world to be sent by television!” He screeched.
“Mike, get away from that thing!” His mother cautioned. However, I noticed that the woman made absolutely no movement to try and stop her son, unlike my angel who quickly pulled Charlie close to her despite the lad not moving towards my machine.
“Stop. Don’t. Come back,” I drawled while rolling my eyes to the ceiling.
“Lights, camera, action!” Mike shouted before he vanished. For just a moment, I felt the peace return to my factory, but then his mother spoke up and the brief reprieve was shattered once again.
“Mike! Where are you?!” Mrs. Teevee sobbed and if she weren’t such a pompous, self-centered woman who saw nothing wrong with the way she was bringing her child up, I might have felt sorry for her. “Mike! Are you there?”
“No good shouting here,” I drily said while strolling at a casual pace towards the television, with the others following close behind. “Watch the screen.” We watched the screen for a moment, and I could practically feel my angel’s nervousness and concern almost as much as I could feel Mrs. Teevee. ‘If I were to completely rebuild this for the purpose of human transportation, I would need to figure out how it would work without causing major damage to the humans it would carry. Obviously, humans are a bit more…intricate than chocolate. Loathe as I am to admit that. Perhaps this is why the brat is taking a long time to reform, because although he is small, he is still made up of two hundred and six bones and seventy-eight organs while the chocolate bar I just sent off only has eight ingredients. If this breaks down objects into easily transportable molecules, then what potential damage and lasting effects could it have on a living organism? This could potentially be my first project with Charlie.’ My eyes drifted to the boy, who was staring with concern but fascination at the television. ‘…That is if he passes the test.’
“Mike? Why’s he taking so long?” Mrs. Teevee demanded, snapping me out of my thoughts.Before I could relay my theory to her, Charlie spoke up. “A million pieces take a long time to put together.” Although Mrs. Teevee stared at him with horror and my angel with reproach, I found his answer to be extremely humorous and I had to restrain myself when Mrs. Teevee moaned, “Oh, where are they?” as she was clearly now thinking of her child not as a whole person, but as a fraction of his former self. The frantic mother’s words seemed to cause my angel some distress and I felt my humor vanish. In an attempt to distract her, I allowed myself the pleasure of brushing my hand against her hip as I watched the screen. I made sure to keep my touch light so that if she wanted to move away, she could do so with minimal effort. However, I was pleased when she didn’t and decided to test the waters by lazily stroking her hip. Her breath hitched causing my body to thrum in excitement.
Before I could take it a step further, my machine chimed, signaling an arrival. I leaned forward in anticipation. “There’s definitely something coming through,” I murmured. “Is it Mike?” His mother fretted. “Well, it’s hard to tell, but I-” I abruptly stopped when the boy appeared on the screen in one piece. One incredibly small piece.
“Our little group is getting smaller by the minute,” my angel murmured to her brother and I quietly chuckled. She may be sweet but she’s just as guilty as I am when it comes to having a twisted sense of humor. “Look at me, everybody! I’m the first person in the world to be sent by television! Wow, what a wild trip that was. It’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me,” the small(er) boy exclaimed quite gaily, clearly not thinking of the ramifications that came along with his choice which was unsurprising. The boy has proven to be undoubtedly the most short-sighted child I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. “Am I coming in clear? Hey, mom I said am I coming in clear?” However, I was surprised that he was able to maintain that same obnoxious volume at his current size. Perhaps if his voice wasn’t as grating as his mother’s, he could have been an opera singer.
“Great! He’s completely unharmed.” I proclaimed, ignoring my little dove’s incredulous stare.
“You call that unharmed?!” Tiny Teevee’s mother shrieked.
“Wow, that was something! Can I do it again?”
“No, they’ll be nothing left!” Mrs. Teevee yelled in astonishment as if she was actually baffled by her son’s ignorance.
“Don’t worry about a thing, mom. I feel fine! I’m famous. I’m a TV star! Wait till the kids back home here about this!”
The dawning look of horror that crossed the woman’s face was absolutely delightful. It was as if I could see the tumultuous thoughts racing through her mind. What would everyone say? Her peers, her co-workers, her superiors? If the world knew about his predicament, they would question why a person such as herself was in a position that influenced the new minds of tomorrow. “Nobody’s gonna hear about this,” she asserted.
“Where are you taking me? I don’t want to go in there! Hey, let me out! It’s dark in here!” I watched on in amusement as she placed her son in her handbag.
“Be quiet!” ‘Ah, there it is. She finally said those two magical words to her delinquent child.’ “Well?” She snapped at me while holding up her bag.
I resisted the urge to tell her she should think critically and come up with a solution herself and instead adopted a contemplative facial expression which was only for the benefit of everyone in the room. After all, I already knew what I was going to do. I pried the pocketbook from her tight grip and led her towards the door while deliberately swinging the bag. No doubt the boy inside would probably vomit from all the motion. “Well, fortunately small boys are extremely springy and elastic. So, I think we’ll put him in my special taffy pulling machine. That should do the trick!” I paid no attention to Mrs. Teevee’s weak voice or her son’s squeaky one and kneeled down to Shilou, one of my oldest workers. “To the taffy-pulling room. You’ll find the boy in his mother’s purse, but be extremely careful,” I threw in the warning mainly for my angel’s benefit. Judging by his raised brow, it seems Shilou knew this too, but nevertheless nodded and leaned up to whisper in my ear.
“T-t-taffy pull-”
“I imagine a human child is a bit more different than that of taffy. Will I get in trouble if I accidently stretch him too thin?”
“What’s he saying?” Mrs. Teevee demanded.
“No, no. I won’t hold you responsible.” I easily assured him before straightening back up. When I turned around, I was met with the interesting sight of my angel struggling to support that dreadful woman’s weight. Oh, dear. It appears that the older woman must have fainted. What a pity.
“Um, a little help here?” My sweet girl pleaded, and I immediately rushed to help her.
“Of course, dear. Here, allow me.” I removed the dead weight from her frail arms and handed the woman over to Axel and Amos. As soon as they had her in their grasp, she began to wake. I leaned down to her level as soon as she opened her eyes. “And now, my dearest lady,” I gaily said, softly speaking over the woman’s groans and petty babbling. “It’s time to say goodbye.” She tried to protest, but I quickly cut her off as I have had quite enough of her shrill voice. “No, no. Don’t speak. For some moments in life, there are no words. Run along now.” Although she was still slightly incoherent, I could detect the small amount of malice in her eyes as I watched my faithful employees drag her and her son from the room. “Adieu, adieu, parting is such sweet sorrow,” I smirked.
Oompa Loompa doompadee doo!
Oh, for goodness sake! They just don’t know when to stop!
I’ve got another puzzle for you.
Oompa Loompa doompadah dee!
If you are wise, you’ll listen to me.
What do you get from a glut of TV? ‘
Now that it’s just the three of us, Charlie should feel comfortable enough to admit what he did,’ I thought to myself confidently as I headed towards the door.
A pain in the neck and an I.Q. of three.
Why don’t you try simply reading a book?
Or could you just not bear to look?
‘And if on the off chance he does not own up to his wrongdoings then I will have no other choice but to go forward with the other plan.’ I grimaced at the thought.
You’ll get no,
You’ll get no,
You’ll get no,
You’ll get no,
You’ll get no commercials!
When I first came up with the Everlasting Gobstopper test for Charlie, I had not anticipated that the young woman who constantly occupied my thoughts and dreams would be the one accompanying him. For if I had, I would have chosen a different way to go about this, but alas it was too late now.
Oompa Loompa doompadee dah!
If you’re not greedy you will go far.
‘My love, please forgive me for what I am about to do,’ I thought to myself, feeling completely disconsolate. ‘I promise that you will soon see why I have to do this. Once Charlie wins, we can all be happy together.’
You will live in happiness too.
Like the Oompa!
‘But what if you are wrong? What if the boy proves you wrong?’ That small, nagging thought made me pause.
Oompa Loompa doompadee do!
‘ No,’ I firmly said to myself. ‘Charlie is not like that. He will do the right thing.’
“Shall we?” I asked the other two occupants in the room when my workers were finished with their performance. “They so do love showing off,” I thought with an eyeroll as I collected the protective outerwear from the both of them before we all vacated the room in favor of the hallway. I attempted to walk slower than my normal pace in order to give Charlie time to collect his thoughts and come clean. However, the longer we walked, the more it became apparent that the boy was not going to say a word about his misdeed. I became more and more frustrated by his silence with each step we took because the closer we drew to my office, the higher the chance was that I would have to play the bad guy.
My eyes flickered from the child to the lovely woman that has held my heart for twelve long years. Her smile, which always had the ability to cause my heart to flutter, now caused my stomach to twist unpleasantly with guilt. I tore my gaze away from her without returning her smile because my inner turmoil was boiling over. Instead, I braced myself for what I was about to do. As the door to my office appeared, I began to mutter to myself, appearing so self-absorbed and unbothered when I was anything but. “So much to do, so much to do! Invoices and bills, letters…I must answer that note from the queen.”
As I opened the door, Charlie finally decided to speak up. However, it was not the words I wanted to hear from him. “Mr. Wonka, what’s going to happen to the other kids? Augustus? Veruca? What’s happening with Violet? Is she okay? Can we see her?” I couldn’t help but soften at his unfathomable concern for the other children besides Violet. ‘Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.’
“My dear boy, I promise you they’ll be quite all right. Violet especially.” I met my angel’s eyes once more. ‘And I cannot live without you, love. Your warmth and your love are the necessities that I need the most.’ I hoped that my thoughts were conveyed by my eyes.
“When the others leave here, they’ll be restored to their normal, terrible selves.” I leaned down and gave Charlie and impish smile. “But maybe they’ll be a little wiser for the wear. Anyway, don’t worry about them.”
“Can we see her? Violet, I mean?” Y/n spoke up.
Although I know it was a bit irrational, I couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt that she was so quick to rush off. Yes, I understand she’s worried for Violet, but I would have hoped that she would at least grant me a proper goodbye. ‘Oh, calm yourself. You know this isn’t goodbye.’ ‘Yes, I know it’s not goodbye but she doesn’t. For all she knows, this will be the last time she sees me. Didn’t our time together on this tour mean anything to her?’
“Yes,” I curtly reply. “Find one of my workers. They will take you to her. Excuse me for not showing you the way. I'm terribly busy. Whole day wasted. Goodbye to you both. Goodbye.” Closing the door on their confused, yet hurt faces was probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but it had to be done. I sit down at my desk and take the first correspondence off of my stack of mail to answer. ‘Now, I just wait for one of them to confront me. If I had to take a guess, I would say Y/n would be the one to speak up.’
I was distracted from my thoughts by three soft knocks. I steadfastly ignored it and continued to robotically answer the Queen of England’s letter. Finally, I hear the door to my office open with a soft ‘click’ and mentally brace myself.
“Mr. Wonka?” She finally speaks up in her sweet little voice.
“I am incredibly busy, Miss. Bucket,” I replied, steel lacing my voice.
She paused before hesitantly speaking once more. “I understand that, but I wanted to talk to you about Charlie-”
“He’s not getting the chocolate,” I interrupt her, taking great care to maintain my indifferent demeanor.
“Chocolate?” She asked, sounding confounded.
I paused my writing and heaved an annoyed sigh. “Yes, the chocolate. The grand prize,” I impatiently say before returning to my letter, never once looking up and meeting her beautiful e/c eyes.
“Mr. Wonka, I don’t care about that,” the boy’s voice, although quiet, still reverberated through my skull. I snorted at his response. ‘Sure, you don’t. Why else would you continue to linger here?’
“Just what is your problem? Why are you acting so hostile towards Charlie all of a sudden? What did he ever do to you?” I could tell Y/n’s temper was getting the best of her based on the sharp bite in her voice.
“He broke the rules,” I gritted out, my own temper rising.
“Rules? What rules? Charlie has been nothing but polite and well behaved during this tour-” That’s does it!
“Wrong, Miss. Bucket! Wrong!” I roared slamming my hands down on the desk before reaching to grab the executed contract. "Under Section Thirty-Seven B of the contract signed by him it states quite clearly that all offers shall become null and void if--and you can read it for yourself in this photostatic copy: "I, the undersigned, shall forfeit all rights, privileges, and licenses herein and herein contained, et cetera, et cetera . . . fax mentis incendium gloria culpum, et cetera, et cetera . . . memo bis punitor delicatum!" It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal!” I hollered, my rage growing with each word but it completely boiled over when I looked into her eyes and saw the one emotion that I never wanted to see directed at me, especially by her: fear. She was looking at me as if I were a monster and maybe I was, but monsters are created – not born. “He stole fizzy lifting drinks. He bumped into the ceiling which now has to be washed and sterilized, so,” I turn to the boy whose gaze his just as fearful as his sister’s and emphasized, “you get nothing! You lose!” I turn back to Y/n and yell with finality, “Good day, Miss. Bucket!” I spun back around and tried my best to ignore them.
Instead of leaving or responding to my accusation, Y/n spoke softly to her younger brother. “Charlie, is this true? Did you deliberately consume fizzy lifting drinks after both Mr. Wonka, and I specifically told you not to?”
“Not deliberately, no,” Charlie answered in a small voice.
“Deliberate or not, it does not change the fact that he broke the rules,” I staunchly spoke up.
“Will you at least give him the chance to explain himself?” Y/n snapped. I wanted to speak up and tell her that I was not interested in listening to Charlie trying to lie his way out of what he did wrong, but I suspected that would do more harm than good. “Tell us what happened,” Y/n says in a much more gentler tone.
“Well, when you told me to listen to what Mr. Wonka said and walked out of the room, I decided to play with the bubbles for just a few seconds because I never got to. I remember the stories you would tell me about all the fun you had playing in the bubbles dad would blow for you.”
I frowned at that and clenched my fingers harder around the pen that I was currently holding. ‘The audacity of this boy! Using their father in his lie, knowing how much his sister missed the man. I truly never expected him to go this low. Perhaps I was wrong about him.’ My heart clenched at the realization that Charlie was not going to win, and she would be out of my life once more. My mind began to race with the possibilities of how I could ask her, and only her, to move into the factory, but I knew it was useless. There was no way she would abandon her family, Charlie especially, for me. This crushing realization was almost too much to bear.
“You were right. It was fun! I only poked a couple before turning back to catch up with you, I swear y/n! But I guess I wasn’t paying attention because I accidently ran into a cart that had a ton of glass bottles on it. The bottles fell from the cart and shattered all around me. That’s how I got the cut on my leg,” Charlie finished.
“Oh, that is rich!” I barked out a laugh and stood up. I spun around to face the lying child with my arms crossed. “There was no cart in that room.”
“Mr. Wonka, I swear there was!” He cried, with crocodile tears in his eyes.
“Even if that were true, it doesn’t explain how you consumed any of my product.” I snapped at him.
“I fell down and began to yell for my sister, but when I went to scream, the liquid from the bottles that were crashing down all around me, got into my mouth. I tried to spit it out, but I guess I must have swallowed some of it because the next thing I knew I was flying in the air.” When he saw how unmoved I was, he turned to his sister, clearly hoping to convince her. “I was so scared, y/n. I went to grab onto something but there was nothing to grab onto. I yelled your name and Mr. Wonka’s name, but nobody came.” The guilt and pain that was shining plainly in her eyes was enough to make me falter. I wanted to comfort her and let her know that the boy hadn’t really been in danger. That Juju Bee would have gotten him down before any harm could possibly befall him, but I refrained from doing so. “I kept going higher and higher until I reached the fan.” Her rosy cheeks completely drained of any color as she stared at her brother in horror. When she began to hyperventilate, I was about to abandon my cold persona and wrap my arms around her, but Charlie beat me to it. “It’s okay, it’s okay! I’m okay!” He attempted to comfort her, but she was clearly still shaken.
“How did you get down, gumdrop?” She gasped out.
“I accidently burped and once I saw that I was beginning to come down a little, I burped again and again and again until I was back down on the floor,” he explained. I pursed my lips as she wrapped her arms around him and began rocking him back and forth as if he were an infant. I couldn’t really believe she was falling for this charade.
“I’m okay. Really, y/n.”
When she finally had calmed down, she turned her full attention to Charlie. She placed her small hands on his thin shoulders before bending down to his level, and speaking to him in a soft, soothing tone. “Charlie, I’m going to ask you one time and one time only…are you lying to us?”
“I swear on my life, y/n,” he said strongly. I couldn’t see his face because Y/n was in between us, effectively blocking my view, but it was obvious that she was searching his face. For what, I could only speculate but whatever it was that she was searching for, she obviously must have found it because she gave a small nod to herself before standing back up to her full height and turning around to face me.
I met her gaze unflinchingly. “Charlie, go wait out in the hall, please. I need to speak to Mr. Wonka alone.” She told her brother, her eyes still firmly glued to mine. The young boy did as he was instructed. Before he left the room, I felt his eyes on me but I refused to tear my eyes away from the fiery woman in front of me. Once we were completely alone, we simply observed one another for a few moments in silence. “He’s telling the truth,” she finally said, her confident voice never wavering.
Her answer elicited a sardonic laugh from me. “Of course, you would say that. You’re his sister for heaven’s sake! You will always take his side.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Mr. Wonka,” she coldly responded. “Since the age of eleven, I was the one who primarily took care of him and all four of my bedridden grandparents while my mother struggled to hold down three jobs, and in that time, I got to know my brother’s mannerisms very well.” My spitefulness dulled a bit at her revelation. ‘Just like me, she had to grow up way too fast by taking on responsibilities that no child should ever have to assume. I should have done something to help her.'
“He has this little tick that he does whenever he’s trying to get away with a lie and that tick was not present when he swore that he did not do what you are accusing him of,” she finished, completely oblivious to the battle that was raging inside of me.
Snapping back to the present, I steeled myself and crossed my arms. “Just because you believe the boy does not mean that I do. His story is highly illogical.” I retorted.
“Well, why don’t we walk down to the fizzy lifting drinks room and see for ourselves?” She insisted, but I swiftly rejected her proposal.
“I don’t need to. His guilt is as plain as day. He may have been the most well behaved on this tour as you said, but that does not diminish his culpability. Not only did he steal from me, but he also continues to lie-” Before I could finish my statement, she had crossed the room in three strides which was considerably impressive given her small stature.
“Don’t you dare!” She cut me off, poking my chest with pure rage swirling in her otherwise beautiful e/c eyes. “My baby brother is not a thief and although sometimes he may tell an occasional fib or two, he has never outright lied about something so egregious! Why won’t you give him the benefit of the doubt and go check for yourself?”
'Because I will not allow myself to be taken for a fool as I have in the past.’ Instead of saying this, I stare at her with an obvious sour expression. “You just need to accept that he’s not walking away with the lifetime supply of chocolate-”
“To hell with your chocolate!” She exploded. “That’s not the damn issue here! The issue is that little boy,” she pointed to the door, “has looked up to you and all that you represent since he was a toddler. You’re his hero! You were the one bright spot that had the ability to illuminate his little world even in the darkest of times and now you’re standing here, threatening to douse that light and leave him in perpetual darkness with no hope. What kind of monster are you?!” Her confirmation that she believed me to be a monster caused my eye to twitch. "And let's just say for arguments sake that you're right and he is lying. You cannot honestly stand there and tell me that you never disobeyed the rules and then lied about it as a kid. We all did things as children that we wish we could take back. Are you really any different?"
Flashback
I smothered my laughter behind my hand as the man on the other side of the confession booth continued to babble on about his sins. "And I also fantasized about another woman while lying next to my wife. I am sorry for all of my sins and the sins of my past life."
I managed to force down my laughter and deepened my voice. "You shall be forgiven my son, but first you must..." I had to cover my face because I could not stop laughing at what I was about to say.
"I must what? Please, I must know," the man cried.
I was able to calm myself down enough to answer him. "Very well. You must cluck like a chicken."
"I-I must what?!"
"Cluck like a chicken. It is the only way you will be forgiven. You did come here to seek penance, did you not?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"Then cluck my son. Do it for your soul."
"Um, okay. Um...bock, bock, bock, b-b-bock!"
My laughter was cut short when the curtains to the confession booth were ripped open, revealing my father's enraged face. Immediately, all of my good humor had vanished, and cold dread easily filled its place.
"Just wait until we get home," he menacingly threatened with clenched fists.
I tried to put on a brave face. "I'm not afraid of you. Hit me with your best shot," I smirked at him with bravado that I currently did not possess.
His ugly face twisted with sinister pleasure. "Oh, but it won't be you on the receiving end this time. I do hope your mother has already prepared dinner because once I'm through with her, she won't be able to stand for a week."
Just like that, my brave façade dropped and I stared at him in horror. "No, please! Don't! Don't touch her!" I tried to beg, but the cruel man would not listen.
Bending down so that we were nose to nose, he hissed, "Let this be a lesson to you, boy. NEVER disrespect me by making a mockery of this institution that this family serves. Now, quit your sniveling and act like a man."
I watched in despair and sinking guilt as he stormed out of the church like a violent hurricane.
"I am sorry mother. Please forgive me," I whisper and began praying to God to spare her from my father's wrath. Sadly, my prayer went unanswered.
End of Flashback
Just as quickly as the unwanted memory came, it was gone, leaving me mentally exhausted and desolate. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath to try and maintain my composure. “It is clear that we are at an impasse, Miss. Bucket. Nothing you can say will change my mind and it’s obvious that I cannot make you see reason. Good day, madam.”
I turned back around, willing her to just…to just go. ‘Just go so that I can I wallow in the knowledge that the only woman that I loved would rather choose her lying brother over me.’ I thought bitterly to myself as I heard her small feet pad softly to the door. However, she made no move to open it. It was silent for a moment before she uttered the one name from our mutually shared past that caused me to freeze. “You know Will, you’re breaking an innocent little boy’s heart, but hey, what’s one more, right? I mean, you had no problem breaking mine twelve years ago when you left.” Icy shock spread throughout my body as I quickly spun around to face her. It couldn’t be…but one look at her face told me everything I needed to know. She knew.
“Oh yes,” she confirmed as if she had just read my mind, looking at me with what I recognized as a forced level of calmness, but I could see right through her mask at the turmoil and anger just rippling beneath the surface. “I remember. Thanks to Veruca Salt, I remember everything. I got my memories back and as pleasant as our time was together, the years following your departure were not. I was so devastated and hurt.” I felt my throat close as tears quickly sprung to her eyes, threatening to fall and try as she might, she could not prevent them from doing so. For a moment, her mask dissolved into nothingness, and I was able to get a glimpse at her true emotions and what I saw shook me down to my very core. Anguish and heartbreak were etched so plainly upon her beautiful face but despite the obvious pain she was in…the pain that I had singlehandedly caused her, there was something deeper there. I could see and practically feel the love and devotion in her eyes. It had me reeling because the fact that this glorious creature still loved me despite me breaking her heart not only once, but twice now, was truly inconceivable to me. It only reinforced the only thing I have known since I met her: I truly do not deserve her.
Again, it was as if she had read my mind because her despair turned into anger that I so rightfully deserved. “You are a lot different than from what I remembered, so I have to ask…have you always been such a jackass or have the years of solitary confinement completely drained you of all compassion, understanding and basic human decency?” She began to shake, and it was pure instinct that made me go over towards her in an attempt to try and comfort her, but I knew better than to overstep my bounds and immediately halted when she made it clear that she did not want me anywhere near her.
“Shakespeare was completely wrong. It’s absolutely NOT better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all because love isn’t worth the pain I’m going through right now, but you wouldn’t know anything about that would you? Because the only thing you love is your candy and yourself.” Oh, angel. That is simply not true. I would give up everything I have for you and you alone.’ I wanted to cry back to her, but I forced myself to remain silent because she deserved the right to unleash all of the pain that I had inflicted upon her back on me.
“You built a fortress around yourself not only physically but mentally as well in order to protect yourself, but your protection turned against you and made you into a cold, emotionless, and cruel person! Your soul is so icy, I’m surprised you’re able to walk around without catching a cold!” I’m not sure what hurts more: her words or the fact that she was completely right in her assessment. For years, I have I allowed my bitter anger and mistrust guide my behavior and decisions until eventually, all of my negative feelings amassed to form my carefully constructed and detached persona.
“Do you want to know something? After you left, every year on my birthday until the age of fifteen, I would always use my one and only birthday wish on you.” I covered my mouth with my hand to try and stifle my own sobs. All these years, I had tried to tell myself that she would get over my departure and that I would probably become a distant memory. If I had known this would be the result of my absence, I would have tried to find a way to still be a part of her life for as long as she wished. If I am being honest with myself, I always subconsciously knew that I wouldn’t be able to trust myself around her…especially as she grew, but maybe instead of just simply cutting off all contact, I could have written her letters and sent her little gifts so that she would never doubt for one second that I was always thinking of her. Maybe then, it would have been a little easier…for the both of us.
“I wished that you were happy,” she continued brokenly. “I wished that you were safe. I wished that you were starting to open up to the world around you. I wished that you would come back to me. Now, all I wish is that you had never stopped by the candy shop on that fateful day and heard me make my wish. I wish you hadn’t dropped off that case of chocolate bars. I wish I had never met you. I wish I didn’t love you as much as I do.” She whispered and I could swear that time stopped. Her confession shook me to my core because I never thought that I would hear those beautiful words fall from her lips. My emotions were a raging, jumbled mess of shock, euphoria, bliss, and self-hatred, but most of all, I felt a burning flame of hope spark in my chest. However, that flame was quickly extinguished by her next declaration.
“I am finished,” she said with little emotion, refusing to meet my gaze and my guilt increased tenfold at the pure emotional exhaustion behind her eyes. “I will never waste another wish on you again. I will do my best to put this day as far from my mind as possible and move forward with my life. When we leave here, I will comfort Charlie just like how he had comforted me when he was only a baby after you broke my heart…and eventually, he will move on too. Eventually the pain will stop, and these wounds will close. We will get through it together because we are stronger than we look and because we have something that you will never have. Today you have shown us so many wonders and miracles. No doubt, you are a giant success, and you have a lot to show for it like an amazing chocolate factory, devoted workers, and the most wonderful inventions I have ever seen, and probably will never see again. You literally have it all except for the most important thing.” Each and every word she uttered was like a sharp, poisonous knife to my heart.
“And that is?” I managed to choke out.
“Love,” she answered, turning her gaze down towards the floor before continuing on. “And for that, I pity you. My family may never experience the levels of comfort that you have, but the love that we have keeps us warm even on the coldest of nights and eventually when I die, I will die knowing that I was sincerely and truly loved and that I was able to return the love given to me just as fiercely, but you…you can’t say the same, can you?”
Her words hit me like a brick wall because she was absolutely right. They say you can tell a lot about a man during his final moments on this earth. Some try to fight the grim reaper because it’s in their instinct to try and stay alive. Some accept their fate with open arms while others are simply resigned to it. Some use their final moments to ask for forgiveness for the misdeeds they committed, some reflect on the life they led and what they could have done differently, some try to make their peace with others in order to finally gain the peace they denied themselves for so long, and others simply take the time to tell their loved ones goodbye. And when their time has finally come, each man will depart from this world either proud of the legacy he left behind or ashamed.
For me, I shall welcome death gladly. My final moments will be spent mourning the loss of my true love who I have just irrevocably lost in this moment, and when I finally take my last breath, I will do so with the knowledge that any success that I gained from my chocolate empire is absolutely meaningless and that the only thing of value that I truly had was the period of time in which she loved me.
“Goodbye Mr. Wonka,” I faintly heard her say through the sound of rushing water that echoed in my ears and I could only stare helplessly as I watched her walk out the door without so much as a backwards glance. I wanted to chase after her. I wanted to beg her to understand. Instead, I did none of these things. I was frozen to the spot. Her words echoed through my mind. “I am finished. I will never waste another wish on you again. I will do my best to put this day as far from my mind as possible and move forward with my life.” I was pulled from the memory of her heartbreaking words by the sound of her voice through my closed door.
“Charlie, sometimes that’s the way life goes. Not everyone that you respect and…love-” my heart clenches at the slight choking sound she makes, and I press my forehead against the cool wooden door as I struggle to simply breathe through the pain. ‘Well surprise, surprise. The mistake mucked everything up again. You’re so worthless.’ My father’s voice cuts through my mind like a thousand sharp blades.
“…will return the same courtesy. Not everyone will give you the benefit of the doubt and in order for us to find peace and solace, we must learn to accept that. As long as we are honest with ourselves, we’ll be able to maintain that inner peace. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”
‘You certainly don’t,’ his voice snorted. ‘How could you? You’ve never felt peace and solace.’
‘That’s not true!’ I fiercely argue back. ‘Whenever when I’m with her, I’m at peace.’
‘Not anymore,’ the voice cackled. ‘You heard her. She’s given up on you. As she should! She’s going to move on without you. She’ll probably get married.’ I shut my eyes, willing the image of her in a beautiful white gown walking down an aisle towards some faceless man who wouldn’t deserve the honor of calling her his wife. ‘More than likely to her precious Billy.’ My teeth clenched as the scene changed and the faceless man morphed into the annoying candy shop owner beaming at his lovely, young bride. ‘They will probably have a few kids.’ My fists clenched as the children, our children, that I had envisioned earlier changed into smaller versions of the Candyman himself. There wasn’t even a single bit of her in their features. ‘They will grow old together and you?’ The voice cackled once more. ‘You will end up just as she predicted. Dying, all alone and completely unloved.’ My body starts to shake. ‘Especially by her.’
“No,” I rasp. “No!” My body is shaking so hard that it takes a few tries for my hand to actually close around that door handle. Shakily, I pull the door open and frantically look out into the hallway.
I watched with despair as I watched the love of my life and reason for breathing storm away from me, taking our future together as well as her little brother with her. My mask from earlier had long since fallen away and I did nothing to stop the tears from freely streaming down my face. I opened my mouth to shout at her to stop. That I loved her and that I would happily spend the rest of my life trying to make up for all of the pain that I had inflicted upon her, but to my horror, I couldn’t make a sound no matter how hard I tried. I wanted to run to her, but my legs were shaking so badly, I had to grip the doorframe to keep myself from toppling over. I panicked, feeling as if I were trapped in some horrible nightmare where you want to gain someone’s attention, but they cannot hear you as they continue to walk away, and no matter how hard you try to scream or run towards them, they are always just out of your reach. ‘Turn around!’ I internally screamed. ‘Please, don’t leave me. I need you just like I need oxygen to breathe. Please don’t let me suffocate!’
At this moment, Charlie chose to turn around and face me, sadness etched upon his face. However, upon seeing me, he faltered in shock before coming to a complete stop, halting my angel in the process.
“Y/n, I think we should-”
“Charlie,” my angel said in an exhausted tone of voice. “I love you dearly, but I am mentally and physically drained and you’re hurt. We are leaving. Now.” She continued walking without sparing even a single glance in my direction. Which was probably for the best. I did not want her to see me like this: broken to the point where I was rendered mute.
Charlie reluctantly followed her, shooting me one last sympathetic gaze before disappearing around the corner and out of my sight. ‘I yelled at him. I screamed at him in anger not even five minutes ago, and yet, he showed me a shred of kindness. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he would have been the perfect heir. If only he had just returned the damn Gobstopper!’
I leaned against the wall and slid down to the ground. Placing my head in my hands, I sobbed. I sobbed for the future of my factory. I sobbed for a poor little boy who should have inherited my life’s work but instead will receive nothing because he broke the rules and refused to own up to his wrongdoings. I sobbed for poor little Violet. No doubt she’s just realizing that her life will never be the same. Most of all, I sobbed for her. For the young girl who touched my dead, cold heart all those years ago. For the beautiful young woman that young girl grew into. For the light and happiness that same beautiful young woman brought into my factory and my life just hours ago, only to take it away forever, leaving me in perpetual darkness. I sobbed for lost love, missed opportunities, unspoken words, and a lifetime of regret. But most of all, I sobbed because she finally remembered me. Us. Everything! She finally remembered and even began to reciprocate my love and in the span of twenty-six minutes, it all came crashing down.
I don’t know how long I sat there, with my head bowed. I willed her to come back, but I knew it was futile. She was gone…well probably not gone at this moment. She’s more than likely checking up on Violet only to realize that she was now all that poor girl has. I felt slightly guilty that I had added to their household when they were barely surviving, but this wasn’t what I had intended because Charlie was supposed to have won and all of his family would have immediately moved into the factory where I could easily provide for all of them. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. The only comfort I had was the knowledge that being together would be a good thing for all three of them. Charlie, Violet and…A fresh new stream of tears came about at the thought of her. I’m interrupted from my disconsolance by a tug at my pants.
Looking up, I stare at Cecil, Jinxy, and Berty. All three were staring at me with a mix of sympathy, nervousness, and slight terror. “Yes?” I croak, not caring at all about how I must look to my workers.
Without saying a word, Jinxy hands me not one, not two, but three Everlasting Gobstoppers. Suddenly, my shaking stopped, and I felt a burst of much needed adrenaline shoot through me. “Where did these come from?” I urgently ask them.
They look at each other as if they were debating on who should speak first. Just as I was about to yell, Cecil decided to be the one to speak up. “Y/n, Charlie, and Violet.”
My heart leapt with joy at the knowledge that both Charlie and Violet gave theirs up. Although I was saddened that my angel was so hurt and angry that she felt the need to give hers away, I was elated that there was still a chance for me to get back in her good graces. Once Charlie, Y/n, and Violet move in, I’ll be able to begin making amends with each one of them. Unless…my happiness immediately vanished as a thought consumed me. “Are they still here?” I question all three, slightly panicked.
“They were getting ready to leave when we ran to you-” Berty had not even finished sentence before I took of sprinting down the hall. ‘Please, please whatever deity is listening, if any, please do not let them leave. Please.’ My thoughts were a jumbled haze of panic, joy, fear, and determination. Each and every corner I turned felt like a never-ending nightmare. When I finally reached the entrance, I flung the door open and squinted against the onslaught of flashing cameras and shrill screams.
“Charlie, Charlie! Tell us, how did you like the factory?”
“Charlie, do you know what happened to Augustus Gloop and Veruca Salt? How did they become covered in chocolate and garbage?”
“Is-is that girl carrying Miss. Beauregarde?”
“By George, George! Look at her! She’s blue!”
“Miss. Beauregarde, do you know why your father left you at the factory?”
“THAT IS ENOUGH!” I hear my sweet girl yell. My eyes snap in the direction of her voice. She has Violet in her arms and Charlie hanging off of her dress as she tries to shield them both from the intrusive reporters.
“Y/n! Y/n! Charlie! Wait!” I scream, trying to get her attention but to my horror, I realize that the noise of the crowd increased with each and every word I yelled, effectively drowning me out. She did not hear me and continued walking, but that did not stop me from trying one last time. Sucking in a deep breath, I yell the same words that she did twelve years ago. “Y/N! PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME! I LOVE YOU!” It didn’t do any good and just like that day twelve years ago, my heart broke all over again. The only difference was, this time, she was the one to walk away.
Unable to take the flashing lights of the cameras and knowing it would be beyond hopeless trying to push my way through the crowd of bodies still gathered at my gate, I managed enough strength to close the door and sunk down on the floor. My head fell into my hands as my sobs began anew and did not cease until I felt a small hand upon my shoulder. Blearily, I look up at Jinxy.
“Did they say anything before they left?” I asked him, my voice hoarse from my abundant crying. Jinxy bit his lip and turned to stare at Cecil, Berty, and Juju Bee. Through my blurry vision, I could still make out their facial expressions. Juju Bee was staring at his fellow Oompa Loompas with stern disappointment and sadness. Berty, Jinxy and Cecil however all had one stark emotion on their faces: guilt.
“Yes,” Jinxy admitted before staring down at his feet.
“Tell me,” I weakly commanded him.
He took a deep breath. “Y/n said that she didn’t want any reminders of today when she handed the Everlasting Gobstopper back. She looked so sad.” I sucked in a breath. It was devastating to hear that she had every intention to follow through on her promise to try and forget me. To forget us. Not that I could fault her for that. My behavior towards the end was inexcusable and I allowed my insecurities and my mistrust to rear its ugly head by lashing out at the one person that I loved the most. ‘Wilkinson was right. I should have gone to therapy to deal with my issues.’
“And the children?” I choked out, trying to maintain my composure.
“Violet, she didn’t have much to say. However, Charlie wanted us to deliver this message to you. He wanted to let you know that he is sorry for not staying with the group and for lagging behind. His curiosity got the better of him and he realizes that if he had stayed with everyone else, his…” Jinxy trails off, looking as if he were about to be sick.
“Accident,” Cecil finished for him. “His accident would not have happened.”
“He also wanted you to know that he is sorry for accidently destroying months’ worth of product and for making you angry, but…” Berty trailed off.
“But?” I echo questioningly.
“But he is adamant that he will not apologize for something he didn’t do,” Juju Bee finished.
I frowned at the Everlasting Gobstoppers still in my hand. “I just don’t understand why he insists on lying,” I mutter as I close my eyes and let my head thump against the door behind me.
It was silent for a moment before Juju Bee spoke again. “A terrible mistake committed in the name of harmless fun has led to a big misunderstanding on my part,” he squeaked out.
“Whatever do you mean?” I moan, eyes still closed.
“I didn’t have my eye on him the whole time.”
That made my eyes snap wide open. Without hesitation, I leapt to my feet and rushed over to him. “What do you mean you didn’t have you eye on him the whole time?! WHERE WERE YOU?!” Normally, I would never yell at any of my workers, but this was serious. More serious than my former workers stealing my recipes. Every Oompa Loompa knew just how important today was and how they all needed to play their parts very carefully. What could have possibly been more important? In my panic and fury, I barely took notice of the fact that the other three Oompa Loompas had vanished.
“The juicing machine was experiencing a coding error and you know I’m the only one here with the smallest hands. Nobody else would be able to open the near microscopic latch and press that tiny, pin-point button,” he rushed out. “Violet was still expanding. If I had stayed to watch Charlie-”
“It would have been too late for Violet,” I finished for him. My shoulders slumped and I knew I could not fault him for his decision.
“Precisely, but I knew how important my mission was, so on my way to the juicing room, I sent Cecil, Berty and Jinxy to watch over Charlie in my stead.” My heart leapt into my throat.
“I managed to catch up with them before I made my way into the Golden Egg room, and they informed me that Charlie had consumed the liquid. I could tell that they were hiding something, but I did not have time to figure out what because I knew you would be entering soon and that you would be anxious for an answer. So, against my better judgment, I entered and gave you the signal. I felt guilty because I did not see Charlie do this for myself and I felt like I was lying to you, but I knew there wasn’t much else I could do at the moment. Too many eyes were watching, and it would have looked suspicious if I had come up to you and whispered the dilemma to you.”
Again, his reasoning was sound. Knowing my sweet little angel, she would have probably assumed that something had gone horribly wrong with Violet and would have panicked. I nodded once to show him that I understood and again, I did not blame him for his decision.
He smiled at me gratefully before continuing. “It wasn’t until after Mike Teevee and his mother were escorted to the taffy puller that they had confessed to me what they had done. They heard you yell at Y/n and in the short amount of time that she was here, she managed to win every Oompa Loompa’s heart.” I smiled faintly at that despite the ever-growing crack in my heart. ‘Of course they all fell in love with her. She’s easy to love.’ “They knew they had to come clean, and they ran to me. By the time they had finished explaining what they did, Y/n, Charlie and Violet were preparing to leave. I instructed them to get you immediately while I tried to stall them, but Y/n was so insistent on leaving and getting Charlie and Violet home. They were out the door by the time you arrived.”
“What did they do?” I whisper. I could practically feel the color draining from my face.
“Perhaps,” he hesitated. “Perhaps it’s best I show you.”
I shakily stood back up gestured with my hand for him to lead the way. As we walked, I could sense his nervousness and it did nothing to quell my panic that was slowly starting to bubble to the surface. That panic only increased tenfold when I saw that we were heading to the fizzy lifting drinks room. I stop short upon entering and take a moment to try and remain calm.
Whatever Juju Bee wanted to show me, I was quite sure it wasn’t going to be pleasant…and I was absolutely right.
“NO!!!” Falling to my knees, I roared in anger, panic, and despair because right there was a fallen cart and shattered glass all over the floor. Just as Charlie had said. My vision started to fade as the air was forced from my lungs. The last thing I heard before I completely blacked out was the sound of a frantic voice calling my name.