Disclaimer: I do not own Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

"Charlie's late," Grandma Josephine noted, her slightly worried tone rousing me from my doze. I blinked open my eyes, letting out a yawn. As Grandpa Joe went off into a tirade about how much Charlie works, I stood up from my uncomfortable wooden chair and stretched, feeling the muscles in my back pop. Silently, I began to help my mother with the preparation of the cabbage water.

"If only their father were still alive," Grandma Josephine said wistfully. I paused, seeing images of mine and Charlie's father flit across my mind. I could practically see his bright smile. He was always optimisitic, no matter what happened. I missed him dearly.

I returned to the conversation in time to hear Grandpa Joe mutter something about the 'floor being too cold'. A fond smile worked its way onto my face at the sight of Grandpa Joe's disgruntled face. As he looked up from his cabbage water, he caught sight of my grin. "Here's another one that works too hard!" He turned to my mother, who was flitting around the room. "Amie works long hours when she should be in college. She could have graduated by now!"

"You know why I couldn't go to college," I said, trying to placate him. The familiar feeling of despair slowly washed over me at the thought of my abandoned dreams. "Besides, I don't mind working two jobs. It helps pay for things that we need."

"You could have kept up with music," Grandpa Joe persisted. "Or maybe became a writer! A philosopher! A scientist!"

"Dad," my mother said warningly.

"It's fine, Mum," I assured her. I looked at my grandfather with a teasing look. "Perhaps I could have even been a candy maker."

"You certainly like sweets enough," Grandma Josephine said, a grin on her face as she continued with her knitting.

The door to the shack opened, and the smiling face of my younger brother appeared. "Hi, everybody!"

"Wake up! Wake up!" Grandpa Joe and Grandma Josephine immediately started to shake my other set of grandparents awake. "Charlie's home!"

Charlie grabbed me in a hug, planting a kiss on my cheek before going to greet our grandparents. I spooned some cabbage water into a bowl for myself before grabbing a spoon. Pay had been thin for me as well as my mother, and the last bit that I had went into the rent of the house. That meant cabbage water for the time being, but I didn't mind. I had a roof over my head, food in my stomach, and family by my side.

"Is this your supper, Grandpa?" Charlie asked, peering into the bowl of cabbage water.

"Well, it's yours too, Charlie," Grandpa Joe replied.

"I'm fed up with cabbage water. It's not enough!" Charlie said loudly, his hands in his pockets.

I froze at hearing his words. Guilt swept through me. I've been doing my best at the jobs. My pay is just lower than the other workers because I'm younger and female. Should I be working longer hours? I could, I guess, but-

"How about this?" My brother's eyes twinkling, he pulled a loaf of bread out his bag. My eyes went wide, and a gasp escaped me. After eating nothing but cabbage water for a while, the loaf of bread looked absolutely fantastic.

"Charlie, where did you get that?" Mum asked worriedly.

"What difference does it make where he got it?" Grandpa Joe interjected. "The point is, he got it!"

"It's my first payday," Charlie reminded everyone as our mother came forward to take the loaf of bread from him.

"Good for you, Charlie," she said, a huge smile on her face. "We'll have a real banquet."

As Charlie called her back to give her the rest of the money, I took the bread from her and began to cut slices for everyone to have with their cabbage water. I rummaged around in the cupboards, hoping to come up with something else to go with it, but nothing else came up.

Sighing, I took my meal and sat back down in my chair, listening to Charlie recount his day to everyone. I looked around at my family, and a content feeling settled in me. Yes, I was probably never going to college to fulfill my dreams. Was I still upset? Yes, but in the end not going was worth it. Worth it to help out my family anyway I could.

Things would turn out alright in the end.

A/N

I've been meaning to write a Wilder Wonka fic for a while, and already have a couple of other chapters written. I hope to try to accomplish developing Amie's character throughout the story, and if anyone ever has any suggestions, feel free to mention them in a review!

I hope you liked the first chapter, and I should have the next chapter up soon.

Please review!

~SirAvery