Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters which belong to Roald Dahl, Warner Bros. Pictures and Tim Burton. There is no intent to gain anything or anyone.

CatCF (movie) Alternate Universe


Chapter 47 - Living With A Unicorn

A short time later, the chief returned with a group of Oompa-Loompas. They brought in a soft fluffy rug and unrolled it beside Charlie's bed for Willy to sleep on. They also brought a large, colorful soft blanket to cover him.

"Just in case Willy turns back during the night," Richard informed the Buckets as the unicorn nibbled curiously on the blanket. He huffed silently before settling into a doze beside Charlie's bed. His ears flicked forward as Mr. Bucket quietly closed the door, alert even in his sleep.

"How long will Willy be a unicorn?" Mrs. Bucket asked.

Richard shrugged. "A few days, a week maybe, certainly no more than a month," he responded and paused for a moment. "I think."

"A month?" Mrs. Bucket looked very concerned at that. He would miss Christmas if he was a unicorn for a whole month! Her son wouldn't like that at all. She wasn't sure how Willy would feel about it.

"Don't you know?" Mr. Bucket inquired, looking dazed.

"The only one who would really know is Willy."

"And he's not answering questions at the moment," Mr. Bucket finished with a sigh of frustration.

- W - C - F -

Charlie woke to find Willy's head resting on his bed, the unicorn watching him with patient curiosity. He shoved the twinge of disappointment that his friend was still in his four-legged form and got up to check on Oriana, before taking a shower and getting ready for the day. Willy stuck his head curiously into the shower while the boy was brushing his teeth. The sound of crystal chimes filled the bathroom followed by the splashing fall of water. Startled, Charlie spun around to find that the unicorn had entered his shower and somehow managed to turn on the water. The beautiful white animal stood under the spray, his ears and tail flicking back and forth, blinking his eyes.

"Willy! How am I supposed to get you dry?" Charlie wondered as he hastened to close the door to the stall so more water wouldn't get on the floor of the bathroom. Ten minutes later, the water cut off and he could hear Willy moving inside so he opened the door to stare at the very wet unicorn, his chocolate mane plastered to his neck. With a sigh, he grabbed every towel he had and proceeded to try and rub the unicorn's fur dry enough so that he wasn't dripping.

"Charlie?" Mr. Bucket stuck his head in his son's bedroom, wondering where he and Willy were.

"In here, Dad!" Charlie called as he rubbed Willy's neck with a fresh towel.

Mr. Bucket opened the door and stared at the mound of wet towels surrounding Charlie and Willy the very wet unicorn. He smiled slightly. "Problem?"

"Willy decided to take a shower," Charlie explained. He jumped slightly as giggling burst out behind his father. He stared at the band of Oompa-Loompas standing there.

"Leave him to us, Charlie," Richard stated, waving his crew forward. The small people swarmed forward. Three of them somehow coaxed the unicorn to lie down on a soft bath mat. He was soon surrounded by little men who were rubbing him dry and diligently brushing his soft fur and hair.

Charlie watched in amusement as four female Oompa-Loompas proceeded to braid some plum red and lavender ribbons into Willy's mane. He wondered how his friend would feel about that after he turned back into a human as he went to find clean clothes to dress in. For the sake of his privacy, Charlie changed in his parents' room. He was soon at the breakfast nook, eagerly waiting for a delicious breakfast when he heard the now familiar crystal chimes of Willy's hooves.

The unicorn pranced out into the living room with his head held high, his horn gleaming softly in the morning light. His mane was beautifully braided with ribbons. His fur and hair was silky and pure as only a unicorn could be. He wore a strand of braided flowers around his neck. It wasn't until the unicorn darted joyfully over to join him in the nook that Charlie smelled something he hadn't been expecting. He leaned forward to examine the flowers and found that they were made from candy. The sweet aroma of chocolate, caramel, vanilla and other delicious scents filled the air around Willy. Amused, Charlie gently rubbed his friend's soft muzzle. While Charlie ate breakfast, Willy daintily ate an apple.

That Sunday, the two friends were inseparable. Charlie took Willy and Oriana to Willy's greenhouse. He got a lot of giggles and laughter at the sight of Oriana trying to hunt the unicorn's tail in the midst of the shrubbery. Willy ate grass, fruits and vegetables between her stalking. The little kitten finally wore herself out and that left Charlie and Willy to romp and play together in the greenhouse. After lunch, they watched a movie in the theater, though Willy was bored and fell asleep long before it was over. He patiently gave his young friend a backrest as he read his school assignments and then the book from Willy's library. All in all, Sunday was a lot of fun for the friends.

Sadly, the same could not be said for Monday. Ah, Monday! Back to school! Willy the unicorn just did not understand at all why Charlie was leaving him. It took everything Mr. and Mrs. Bucket could do, everything the Oompa-Loompas could do, to keep the unicorn from following Charlie Bucket down the hall and outside, all the way to school. Mrs. Bucket felt quite breathless from holding on to the determined unicorn's neck as he made yet another lunging attempt to get out.

"He doesn't understand," Mr. Bucket exclaimed helplessly. He had to get ready for his job interview soon. That would, unfortunately, provide Willy with another opportunity to try and leave. He didn't see how Mrs. Bucket and the little Oompa-Loompas could hold the unicorn captive by themselves. The little workers had already informed the Buckets they didn't know how Willy had managed to get around the factory unseen.

A little Oompa-Loompa in a light blue dress and pearls stared at them from the doorway of the suite. She walked up to the unicorn and reached up a hand. Willy huffed and bent down to sniff it. "Stop it! Right this minute," she scolded the unicorn in no uncertain terms in Oompa-Loompish, while patting his nose very gently. "You're being a silly Willy! Charlie has to go to school and unicorns are not allowed. I'm sure you would realize that if you thought for just a minute."

Mr. and Mrs. Bucket gaped in astonishment as Willy stopped and turned into the very picture of dejection and abandonment. "He'll be back in a few hours. School doesn't last forever," the little Oompa-Loompa reassured her boss. "He'll behave now," she informed everyone else serenely.

"Thank you, my dear." Richard kissed his wife on the cheek. "This is my wife, Doris. She is Willy's personal assistant. Willy will listen to her when he won't hear a word from anyone else." He smiled proudly at her as she blushed slightly and giggled.

"How do you do, Doris," Mrs. Bucket greeted the little woman in relief. She looked, except for her attire, much like all of the other Oompa-Loompas in the room. The Buckets had no idea how they would tell all of the little workers apart.

Doris dropped a brief and polite curtsey. "Very well, thank you, Mrs. Bucket." She looked over the two large people carefully.She spoke in the way of all Oompa-Loompas with Richard translating for her. "You are staying here, aren't you? There will be no more nonsense about you moving out?" She petted Willy's nose again. "Willy would be heartbroken if you left."

Mrs. Bucket exchanged telling looks with Mr. Bucket and nodded decisively. "We're staying."

"Good," Doris smiled as all the other Oompa-Loompas cheered loudly, startling poor Willy into dancing back from the noise. "Now, I believe Mr. Bucket has to ready for his appointment. Richard, dear, why don't you take Willy to the cocoa forest?"

Richard nodded slowly. "Yes, that's a good idea. The floberties and wumbles will keep him distracted until Charlie comes home from school." The Buckets felt relieved as the unicorn followed the Oompa-Loompa couple out the door and down the hallway. Mr. Bucket kissed Mrs. Bucket on the cheek before hurrying into their bedroom to get ready for his interview. He dressed very carefully in some of the new clothes that Willy had provided them. His shoes were polished to a fine shine and his hair brushed within an inch of its life.

All in all, Mrs. Bucket thought her husband looked quite handsome as she straightened his collar. "For luck," she whispered before kissing him tenderly.

Mr. Bucket wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled. "Thank you, darling." He took a deep breath and picked up his winter coat. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

- W - C - F -

Meanwhile, Willy was being reintroduced to the floberties and wumbles. He snorted, the first sound the Oompa-Loompas had heard him make save for the sounds of his delicate, dancing hooves, as several wumbles grabbed hold of the chocolate tuft at the end of his white tail. Everyone froze as Willy stared at the colorful wumbles. Even the floberties fell silent as they waited. Suddenly Willy jumped straight up into the air. He landed and bounded into the forest with his tail flagged high.

At first, the Oompa-Loompas were afraid the wumbles had scared Willy. The unicorn came bounding back, only to come to an abrupt halt. He twisted his neck around until he was staring at the wumbles on his tail. He gently nuzzled the colorful winged balls of fuzz, before he took off in another direction. They all relaxed as the floberties and other wumbles flew after the unicorn in a mad chase through the vast cocoa forest.

As if he instinctively knew when Charlie was returning, Willy slipped away from the forest, floberties and wumbles. He raced down the halls and was waiting, anxiously prancing when the boy entered the factory. Charlie hugged Willy's neck joyfully; unaware of the problem the unicorn had been earlier that day. Mrs. Bucket didn't have the heart to tell her son what he'd been like after his departure and watched with a faintly worried smile as Willy stayed close by her son's side. He obviously didn't care how boring Charlie's activities might be. She had to wonder why he was so attached to Charlie. Was it Willy's memories of their friendship? Or something unique to the unicorn he now was?

Mr. Bucket finally returned from his interview at Smilex. He wore a huge smile as he announced his new position over dinner. Mrs. Bucket hugged him and they exchanged conspiring glances, already planning Christmas presents for their son with the pay increase. Willy ignored the exchanges in favor of the pieces of apple that Charlie was feeding to him.

This set the pattern for the days to follow. Charlie would wake to find Willy resting his head on his bed, watching him. He would get up; tend to Oriana and hug Willy before getting ready to depart for school, leaving a bereft unicorn behind. Mrs. Bucket was extremely glad Willy didn't make the fuss he had that first day. She was positive she could never hold him back alone. Well, if it was just her and Willy's little workforce. The Oompa-Loompas would appear immediately afterward and lead Willy to the cocoa forest to play with his new friends, the floberties and wumbles. In the afternoon, he would race down the hallway to meet Charlie at the front door. Only once was it with a wumble still clinging to his tail.

This new pattern of their lives held until Friday afternoon, when a terrible scream suddenly echoed through the cocoa forest. Willy flashed in a blur of white down the hallway and out of the factory before any one else could think or move!