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Chapter 14: Baby Oompa Loompa
I watched as they worked with various colored substances and discussed candies, finally I heard a stifled gurgle and saw two small eyes peeking at me from the couch. I smiled lifting the small Gilbert into my arms and reaching into the bag finding a bottle noting it was still warm and watching his wide eyes as he fed. Willy had been so into his work he hadn't noticed that Gilbert was awake as of yet until I gently patted the small baby hearing a rather large burp for such a tiny thing.
"Oh…its…he's awake." Willy said seeing me give him a dirty look and then smile at the brief flush that came across his face. "Marty!" he called as the small man came in and paused briefly seeing I was burping Gilbert. "Tell Emilee he's….what?" he questioned pausing a sour look creasing his face again.
"Emilee needs a little while yet, something in the house came apart and is blocking Gilberts room." Motioned Marty seeing Willy sigh and nod in thought, but instead of an annoyed look his eyes were revealing he was amused by this.
"What is it?" I asked seeing Marty shrug and leave quickly to attend to his work. "There's that smirk." I thought rolling my eyes as he giggled thoughtfully.
"You are stuck with Gilbert until Emilee can get back to his room." Willy said with a mocking smile as I shrugged thoughtfully.
"That's a bad thing?" I questioned seeing him pause in surprise before giving me another of his many curious looks. "I like kids Willy…I know that under all that ew exterior you don't mind them…you just hate your personal bubble punctured by them." I said with a smirk of my own noting Charlie staring thoughtfully up at Willy who was flashing a phony smile and giggling in his usual way. "He's forcing himself to act like the Willy Charlie knows…I'm in trouble after this." I realized seeing Charlie go back to work and noting the dark look cross Willy's face as I stifled a giggle and saw the small Gilbert smile mischief in his eyes. "Ew." I said wrinkling my nose as a decidedly fowl odor reached my senses. "Be back in a minute." I said grabbing the bag and heading toward the bathroom.
"What's wrong?" called Willy as I vanished into the bathroom and started to change Gilbert who appeared highly amused at the awful look on my face.
"Do you want to change him Willy?" I questioned peeking out into the room briefly before finding the incinerator garbage shoot and smiling faintly at the now cleaned up Gilbert who gurgled in response to my tickling his chin.
"Ew." Willy replied as I found myself stifling another round of laughter before exiting into the room and seeing Willy was flushing while Charlie giggled hysterically.
"What happened?" I asked seeing Charlie was pointing to Willy who had an oddly wrinkled nose expression on his face apparently it hadn't left since my earlier comment. "Careful your face will freeze like that." I said as Charlie started to laugh again seeing Willy glance at me with only a hint of his smirk, his eyes saying I was in very much trouble after Charlie and Gilbert were no longer present. "I wonder what kind of trouble." I thought carefully placing the small toddler on my knee and bouncing him, while humming another song, which I had chosen because it had no words and was from a movie called Police Academy. "No it doesn't have words." I said seeing Charlie was about to ask.
After about two hours more I saw Willy and Charlie both murmur something to one another before Charlie disappeared for the chocolate room waving to me in the process. I watched Gilbert gurgle and attempt a wave rocking slightly on my knee as I grasped his sides carefully. I noted Willy was standing there watching me thoughtfully and I could tell he was wishing Emilee would show up so he could do whatever he had thought about doing since my teasing that afternoon. I smiled faintly as Gilbert let out an excited gurgle and followed his gaze to a small frazzled looking Emilee who came into the room.
"Your mom is here." I whispered as Gilbert poked lightly at my nose and gurgled again before reaching out to his awaiting mother who grasped his bag and handed me a note.
I can't thank you enough. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't had him today. Is there anything I can do to repay you?
"Yes…let me watch him again if you need the break." I said smiling as Emilee nodded a bright smile alighting her eyes. "Oh yeah…and save me from his wrath." I said softly as Emilee noted the odd look on Willy's face and frowned sighing thoughtfully.
"Be nice Mr. Cocoa Bean." Motioned Emilee as Willy started at this and lowered his lids to conceal his thoughts from the small woman.
"I wasn't going to do anything Emilee." Willy said sounding way to innocent for my liking which made me wonder if I should run from the room the minute she left or swipe his cane in defense. I didn't have much time to think as the door shut quietly behind the woman and I saw his eyes staring at the door hesitantly.