Chapter Twenty-Five
Cherie was working hard in her office, occasionally glancing up to see what was going on, but as more and more children messed up, more and more things needed to be fixed, which meant more and more paperwork needed to be looked at.
She was so caught up in everything that was going on in her office that she lost track of the tour till the glass elevator itself was parked outside her office door. Inside it was just Willy, Joe, and Charlie.
"He did it!" said Willy excited. Joe and Charlie just had big grins on their faces and Cherie hopped into the elevator and held onto Willy's coat as the door closed and the elevator moved.
"I just knew you would Charlie. Especially if you were related to Joe, here. Always was my favourite," said Cherie smiling at Joe then hugging Willy tighter as the elevator jerked to a stop. That's when Willy pushed a button and it lit up red.
"'Up and Out' what kind of room is that?" asked Charlie. Cherie's face dropped.
"Oh no," she said and braced herself.
"What?" asked Charlie even more confused.
"Do as she does: hold on," said Willy. Charlie looked upward amazed. Willy's smile dropped soon as he felt the speed they were going. "Oh my goodness. We're going to need to go much faster, otherwise we'll just never break through."
"Break through what?" asked Charlie looking down to Cherie who was still braced for impact.
"I've been longing to press that button for years," said Willy.
"He really has. You don't know how hard it was to keep his finger at bay," said Cherie through it came out somewhat muffled.
"Well, here we go. Up and out," said Willy after making a face towards his wife.
"But do you really mean?" asked Joe.
"Yeah, I do," said Willy.
"He does," said Cherie.
"But it's made of glass, it'll smash into a million pieces," said Joe. Willy just laughed and everyone looked up as the ceiling drew nearer. Finally there was a loud smash and the elevator went high up into the air right before gravity took control and it started plummeting towards the earth.
"Willy!" cried Cherie as she tugged on his leg. He gave her a disapproving look for enjoying this like he was before pressing another button and the jets at the top came out and stopped the plummeting.
"Happy?" asked Willy as Cherie stood up and straightened out her clothes.
"No, but I'm better," she said calmly.
"Look!" exclaimed Charlie pointing below them. That's when they saw the doors open to the factory and the other children proceeded out of the factory.
"Oh my, is he eating himself?" asked Willy as they looked closely at Augustus.
"Ew, chocolate covered cannibalism?" said Cherie and she shared a looked with Willy before both shuddered and watched as Violet came flipping out. Followed shortly by two piles of garbage- I mean, followed by the Salts.
"I can't imagine what they smell like," Willy said making a face as if he could smell them.
"I can imagine it, I just don't want to smell it," remarked Cherie.
"Oh wow, look at Mike," said Charlie as he came out with his father in front holding his jacket.
"He's so skinny I can hardly see him," said Cherie.
"Oh they'll be fine. Now where do you live?" asked Willy turning to Charlie.
"Er," said Charlie looking around before pointing to a house on top of a hill, "Right over there. That little house." Willy nodded and moved the elevator over to the house. Cherie noticed they were still going pretty fast when they began their descent right over the house and felt she had to inform Willy.
"Um, Willy, don't you think we should…" just then the elevator when right through the roof of the already falling about house, "stop?"
"Hi mum!" yelled Charlie as they looked at two rather shocked Bucket's. The elevator doors opened with a 'ding' and they all walked out of the elevator, Charlie and Joe first.
"Mum, dad, we're back," said Charlie before he went and hugged his parents followed by Joe. Cherie looked around and nodded to the three Grandparents resting in the only bed in the room. Willy walked over to Charlie and his parents and Cherie ran and stood right next to him.
"This is Willy and Cherie Wonka. They gave us a ride home," said Charlie as they all looked at the couple.
"I see that," remarked Mrs Bucket looking up at the hole in the ceiling. Willy merely ignored it.
"You must be the boy's…" that's when he trailed off.
"Parents?" asked Mr Bucket.
"Yeah, that," said Willy.
"He said Charlie's won something," said Uncle Joe happily looking back at his family.
"Not just some something. The most 'something' something of any something that's ever been," he said as he began to look around the small house, including looking into the cabinets. "I'm going to give this little boy my entire factory."
Both Cherie and Willy remained calm as the family had both the expressions of confusion and excitement.
"You must be joking," said Uncle Joe who was the most confused.
"No, really. It's true," said Willy as turned back to the family, "because you see, a few months ago, I was having my semiannual hair cut and I had the strangest revelation. In that one silver hair I saw reflected my life's work…my factory, my beloved oompa-loompas. Who would watch over them after I was gone? I realized in that moment that I must find an heir…And I did, Charlie, you."
"But couldn't your wife look after everything?" asked Mrs Bucket.
"Not for long," said Cherie.
"Are you saying you will live longer than me?" asked Willy looking at his wife.
"Yep," she said.
"That's why you sent out the golden tickets," said Charlie putting everything back together.
"What are oompa-loompas?" asked Mr Bucket to his wife. Cherie was about to explain when Willy continued on after Charlie's realization.
"I invited five children to the factory and the one who was the least rotten would be the winner. That's you, Charlie. So, what do you say? Are you ready to leave all this and come live with Cherie and me at the factory?" asked Willy facing Charlie and everyone looked at Charlie for his answer.
"Sure. Of course. I mean, it's all right my family come too?" said Charlie and his parents smiled proudly.
"Oh, my dear boy, of course not," said Willy. The Buckets' smiles fell and Cherie's jaw literally fell open in shock at her husband. "You can't run a chocolate factory with a family hanging over you like an old, dead goose. No offense." He glanced over at the grandparents in the bed.
"None taken," said Grandpa George before muttering under his breath, "jerk."
"Excuse me? I do not hang over you like an old, dead goose. In fact without me your probably wouldn't receive your shipments of ingredients at all, I help you run this factory and here I find out you don't approve of family in there," said Cherie glaring at him now.
"A chocolatier has to run free and solo. He has to follow his dreams. Gosh darn the consequences. Look at me, I had no family, and I'm a giant success," said Willy going back into his elevator.
"Free and solo? No family? I see how it is Willy," said Cherie.
"I didn't, you came back after I was a success," he said, "are you going to get in the elevator?"
"No," she said, "until you figure out just how important family is I won't be living with you. I thought you had changed when we got married." Cherie then stomped to the door and left into the cold. Willy looked confused before turning to look at Charlie.
"So if I go with you to the factory, I won't ever see my family again?" asked Charlie.
"Yeah, consider that a bonus," said Willy.
"Than I'm not going. I wouldn't give up my family for anything. Not for all the chocolate in the world," he said. Willy's face fell and he looked very confused. Nothing had really settled in that his dislike for family was really causing a problem for him.
"Oh, I see. That's weird. There's other candy besides chocolate," he tried still not understanding.
"I'm sorry, Mr Wonka. I'm staying here."
"Well, that's just…unexpected…and weird…But I suppose, in that case, I'll just…goodbye, then," he went to push a button on the elevator but hesitated and turned back to Charlie, "sure you won't change your mind?"
"I'm sure."
"Okay, bye then," said Willy and he pushed a button and the elevator flew up.
Cherie turned and watched the elevator fly overhead and back to the factory. She sighed and shook her head, she knew he didn't like families but he thought for sure he had soften up to them overtime having been married, but apparently not.
With no where else to go, she slowly but surely made her way to the only place she knew she could go to. She braced herself against the snow as she made her way up the stairs and knocked on the door. A few moments later the door creaked open.
"Hi, Mr Wonka, do you mind if I stay a while?" she asked. He kept a straight face and nodded and held the door open wider. She walked into the warm house and he quickly shut the door behind her.
"What happened?" he asked going upstairs and her following behind him.
"Had a bit of a tiff over the whole family thing," she said.
"Ah, well stay as long as you need," he said opening a door and showing her a bedroom. It was Willy's old bedroom, but she didn't mind. She smiled her thanks before walking in.
"Thank you," she said.
"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," he said before leaving the room. Cherie just laid down on the bed and sighed.
"You crazy man," she said out loud to herself.
.-
A/n: Sorry it's been a while, work sucks all the energy out of me and I usually spend my days off not at home and I have been working on costumes so writing is on the last of my list, but I try to find some time to do some.
So all that is left is maybe one to two more chapters, most likely two but we'll see it has potential to be more.
-Charlotte