"Mr. Wonka, do you have anything to say about the death of Charlie Bucket?"

Yes, that summed up the horrible accident that ensued in the chocolate room... But Willie Wonka didn't want anything to do with what happened to Charlie Bucket ever again.

He left the funeral with his hat tipped down over his eyes and his collar starched and flipped up. His tailcoat flapped behind him as he strolled briskly down the road towards his now seemingly empty factory.

He walked through the gates, which swung open right in time with him. His cane tapped in the rhythm of his step. An Oompa Loompa opened the door for him. Inside were his slippers, his candy-bubble pipe, and his robe. Removing the garmets in a very automatic fashion, he didn't even acknowledge the Oompa Loompa that took his coat and hat. The poor guy looked after him for a friendly gesture, but none was given as Willie Wonka retreated to his room.

-three years later-

Wonka Candy's sales had plummeted; Mr. Wonka gave up. He refused to make more candy; he didn't want further rejection. Each new idea flopped worse than the previous, and even his classic chocolate bars were now grainy and rough. Now, he sulked in his quaters all day, and stood by the waterfall at night. He didn't know what to do.

Then one night, as the wind was howling and the rain was plummeting against the walls, he heard a scream.

Not just any scream...a scream that eerily reminded Willie Wonka of his old apprentice Charlie's scream on that fateful night.

Mr. Wonka's conscience wouldn't let him ignore it. He bolted out of the factory.

The rain was a thick sheet of water, blocking his vision, but the screams continued so he followed them to the gate. They swung open, as usual, in time with him, and though the screams continued, there could be heard a loud grunt as well as the gates swung to the brick walls. Willie Wonka followed the gate by hand, covering one ear with his free hand from the piercing screams. His hand met something squishy, and he rushed to the end of the gate to open it. For a moment, he thought he had trapped the screamer behind the gate, but then he tripped over it..more precisely, her. She was right out of the swing range of the gate.

Pushing the gate away from the wall, Mr. Wonka saw in a lightning flash a rather comically squished assailant. Then he heard a thump, which he assumed to be the assailant's fall to the ground. He kicked where the man should have fallen, and sure enough, his foot bounced against a rather rotund individual. Then he got down on his hands and knees and felt around for the girl. Finding her quickly, he lifted her up and ran into the factory, the gates closing tightly behind him.

The man on the ground groaned, and pushed himself off the wet ground for a moment, before losing his balance and tumbling back down, this time landing in a puddle and staying there.

Inside, Willie Wonka removed his coat from the wrack and wrapped it around the girl. A tired-looking Oompa Loompa meandered, then immediately came to himself when he saw a soaking wet Wonka and a mysterious lump of jacket.

"Please, good friend, fetch a blanket for her!" Wonka exclaimed, and the Oompa Loompa tuttered off as quickly as possible, returning soon with an extraordinarily large blanket from the Cotton Candy room (they made blankets out of any wool that wasn't sweet enough for candy).

"Thank you," Willie Wonka said breathlessly, taking away the damp coat and replacing it with the dry blanket. The shivering girl opened her eyes slightly and looked up to the pale man with the bright blue eyes whose arms she was in.

"Thank you," She whispered.

Willie Wonka's lips curled up in the smallest smile. It was the first time he had smiled in three years.

She woke up later that night to the same pale, blue-eyed man who she had seen earlier, fast asleep, leaning against the bed on the floor. He had a strange haircut. But she didn't mind. His face was strong and looked cool to the touch, so she brushed her fingers down his cheek. This woke him up with a start, and the start even startled her and she fell onto the floor in an awkward position.

She cursed and readjusted herself into a postion that looked much less like she was mangled than before. Staring at the man, all was silent.

Willie Wonka stared back at her. She was cute; she had large chocolate brown eyes and long black hair that framed a round, cheery face with high cheek bones. She reminded him of a wind-up doll.

"Thank you," She said, and her voice was melodious. She outstretched a limber hand to him as he stood, and she stood with him. He was much taller than he.

"You're...welcome," he said, lost in looking at her. She plopped down on the bed and crossed her legs, looking at him expectantly and surprisingly eagerly.

He looked around, confused, then peered at her, contemplating what to say. "What's your...favorite candy?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Wonka Scrumdidlyumptious Bars. What's yours?"

He smiled wide. "Would you like one?"

Her eyebrow raised higher. "Only if you tell me what yours is."

"Why, I love all candy."

Now both of her eyebrows were raised. "What's your name?"

"What's yours?"

She glared at him. "Lily."

"You don't look like a lily. Can I give you a new name?"

She looked at him incredulously, then shook it off. "Maybe, if you tell me yours."

He thought about. "Will."

"But if we ever fall in love, it'll sound good Will and Lily."

He looked at her.

"Ok. We'll keep it Lily, for now," He gave in.

She smiled.

She was very...cute. Not necessarily beautiful, he thought, but cute.

"So, how about that chocolate bar?"

His grin was quickly as wide as hers.