Disclaimer: Don't own anything except original characters. All
material (c) to respective owners. I write these for fun and make no
profit. They're just random plot bunnies that live within my strange
mind.
Chapter 55: News & Surprises
Knock, knock, knock, knock, several more urgent knocks later
I slowly sat up in bed wondering what could cause such a nervous little tap and watched Willy slowly pad from bed opening the locked door, apparently he had forgotten to leave it open for his workers. I watched Harlow and Emilee both scurry into the room, hands waving in a furious way forcing his violet eyes to widen in surprise.
I watched him slowly sit down on the edge of the bed looking about to faint at the fast waving hands in front of him. Finally with a quick wave of his hands, both stopped catching their breaths. I couldn't help but get this strange feeling something had went wrong with agreeing to Demetrius's game and we had a new problem to deal with. Finally Willy proceeded to sign back and forth with his two friends, expression varying from shocked, confused, nervous, and oddly happy. I suddenly grew very suspicious with this and wondered what was going on.
Harlow and Emilee left with small knowing smiles on their faces and allowed us to be alone. "What is going on Willy?" I clasped my hands gently on my knees and studied his bemused expression, I never seen him look quite this dazed.
"Nothing Starshine…just some interesting developments." I watched him easily slip to his feet adjusting his suit and smoothing himself out a small impish smirk ever present on his face.
"Interesting for whom?" I knew that look; I wasn't getting a thing out of him. I felt like I was reliving my engagement events at the moment.
I observed him wandering around the room getting his things together and watching me. He offered me an arm, which I curiously accepted finding myself pulled out into a familiar hallway. Inside the glass elevator no matter how much I prodded I couldn't get a word out of him, he dropped me off at the buckets to entertain the family. He then excused himself without another word leaving me in confusion as usual.
"He seems strangely frightened and excited at the same time." I jumped at Mrs. Bucket's very close observation and smiled warmly at the grandparents who were about using the morning to amuse themselves. "What is going on dear?" I shrugged meeting her warm gaze and hugged Grandma Josephine back before following Mrs. Bucket into the kitchen.
I assisted her in some baking and making dinner. "Your guess is as good as mine Mrs. Bucket. Emilee and Harlow come into the room in a panic and then he brushed it off like nothing was wrong. Panic isn't exactly the right word, but they were strangely worried and excited." I paused in rolling some doe and tilted my head in thought. "Wedding planning is enough to deal with without him being up to more mischief." She smiled warmly at the smile within my voice and continued to work on decorating the cake at hand. I could have sworn within those familiar eyes was a spark of possible knowing and paused again in my work. "Mrs. Bucket…
"Becky please dear…you've been here long enough to stop being so formal." I stopped staring at her in surprise and then took a breath with a small smile.
"Becky…what do you suspect?" she smiled again, before pausing in her work and meeting my thoughtful gaze.
She lowered her hands to her apron, wiping off access flour from her hands and took to kneading the dough on the table beside her. "How long have you and Willy been together now dear?" there was a strange spark in her gaze and I could feel a flush creeping to my scalp at the unspoken insinuation within her tone.
After recovering from the deep blush threatening to engulf me I lowered my gaze to the dough at hand. "December." I couldn't actually bring myself to say more to that, the fact she could read me nearly as well as my own mother made me paranoid at what else she could figure out.
"I see…" Mrs. Bucket considered my reaction and the possibilities within the new strange events. "…He may be planning a surprise for you…Willy has never been this happy since we met him. He truly loves you." I nodded watching her expression turn to that strange unnerving knowing.
"You're acting as bad as him Becky." I stated dryly, watching her smile turn into a subtle smirk, before she glanced up at Mr. Bucket's entrance from work.
"Hello dear." He warmly clasped his wife in a hug, and smiled kindly in my direction before going about taking care of his work items and seeing the others outside.
I was shooed from the house after helping her for two hours. She insisted that I go occupy myself with wedding plans and knew very well I still had a horde of dresses to try on for my future wedding.
Once I was engulfed in the familiar vine hideaway in the chocolate room, I again found myself overwhelmed with dresses. Four parachutes later I was engulfed in another pearl beaded number, which I knew very well I would kill myself in. Then came this strangely poofy frilly thing that made me feel like an old fashioned porcelain doll, one that made me feel like Morticia Addams, and finally my least favorite with too much lace. The lacey number made me feel like bugs were crawling all over me. After three more dresses I mentally swore never to look at again, I was finally let loose from the female Oompa Loompa's and settled among the darkness.
Occasionally blinking candy firefly would brush past me, but otherwise I was rather content. I heard a familiar humming outside my little hideaway and smiled slipping to the edge of the gummy vine curtain. I reached out snatching Willy's top hat and stifled my laughter at his indignant startled cry afterward. Cautiously I stepped further within the familiar dark area and waited for him to come investigate.
THUMP
"Licorice whip." I watched him fumble in the darkness, kicking at a hidden candy root within the sanctuary before glancing around the area. "I know you're in here Orianna…I want my hat back." I could hear the laughter in his voice and slipped carefully within the thickening candy leaves studying his entrance carefully. "Oof."
I couldn't take it anymore and giggled at his ungraceful flop on the grass very near my feet, before I knelt down and placed his hat on his chest. "You alright Willy?" with a small muffled groan as his response I gathered he was fine.
I noticed his violet eyes meet mine, a familiar smirk lingering in the corner of his mouth. "No thanks to my lovely fiancé…warfare by plants isn't really a fair fight." He wagged a finger in my face, watching my amused smile broaden.
"Neither is using a crème pie tree to my advantage, but I still did." He groaned with an un-amused look and tucked his hat over his face. "Willy." He refused to meet my gaze, keeping his hat tightly grasped against my tugging attempts. "Hey candy imp…let go." He giggled slowly lowering his hat at my rather interesting name and caught my wrists.
"Candy imp?" I shrugged in my defense pulling against his grip and only managing to flop on my backside with an indignant curse. "You alright?" I nodded hearing an almost frightened tone within his voice and tilted my head in curiosity.
"Naturally…I'm used to falling remember." His serious expression made me reconsider teasing him and I slowly found myself pulled to my feet. "What is going on Willy?" he glanced around conspiratorially before smiling slightly at my interest.
"Harlow and Emilee…" He stopped considering they were both standing and it might be wise to make sure I didn't fall down. He remembered all too well having to find his bed that morning and had a feeling I might react the same way. "Sit." I gave him a look, but complied when we both sat across from each other on the bench within the foliage I had countless times fell onto due to overly frilly gowns.
I watched him fidget and got the strangest feeling he was more nervous then I was something had definitely made a significant impression. Slowly I started to piece things together, the nervous panic that morning, the strange knowing look in Mrs. Bucket's eyes and noticed him concentrating on holding my hands. "I can't be."
"You alright Starshine?" I nodded meeting his gaze and waited patiently for whatever was coming. "Harlow did some of his own tests…he felt guilty over doing as you asked and wanted to make sure nothing else could be found to create issues or give Demetrius more ammunition so to speak…" He wondered how much I had put together so far by his strange actions that day and smiled briefly at the strange dazed look on my face. "He found out that…
"I'm pregnant." I finished for him, knowing by then what was going on do to his strange fidgeting and remembering his fidgeting nature when I took care of Gilbert.
He slowly nodded watching me raise a brow in surprise. "Yes." He noticed me studying him intently and smirked knowing what was next going to come from me. "I am very happy…as for learning to deal with the details of babies…I think I can manage." I couldn't help but giggle at his slightly wrinkled expression recalling an incident in the inventing room about diapers not too long ago.
"You told Becky and left me hanging William." I couldn't help the cheeky grin I offered seeing his eyes narrow in amusement at my comment.
"When did you start calling her Becky?" he retorted back with a giggle watching me cross my arms, staring him down.
"When she insisted this morning…and later chased me out. I think she had to tell Mr. Bucket your amusing secret." He shrugged pretending far too hard to be innocent.
"Darien by the way…and more then likely yes that was her reason." She finally gave into her urge to harass her amusing fiancé and reached out tickling him, proceeding to pull them both down among the candy grass of their dark forest hideaway. "Stop!" he managed in between giggles watching me intently before a playful smirk appeared and I knew what was next.
I slid to my feet easily navigating my way from the familiar hideaway, knowing full well he hadn't spent the time in there I had. It gave me a brief advantage and I took it, running full tilt toward the Buckets in hopes of avoiding his returned tickle attack. I felt strangely great and excited at the news I had learned, even a bit on the nervous side. I knew that I would do fine and he would do fine being a father, I had no doubt that this would work out wonderfully. Charlie would also have someone to look forward to helping when our child was old enough to go to school and a sidekick to help him at all times. It was nice to know Charlie would always be there and I found myself skidding to a halt in front of an amused looking Mr. and Mrs. Bucket.
"Um…hi." I managed meekly, hearing Willy slide to a halt beside me. "Long story." I managed before stepping around behind the pair and smiling at Charlie who looked completely shocked into a stupor.
--Willy Wonka's POV--
Willy nodded in confirmation seeing the question lingering in the Bucket's eyes. He watched as she carefully walked up beside Charlie and placed a hand on his shoulder. He watched Charlie jump before glancing up at her with an almost faraway expression on his face. He got a strange feeling that she could settle all questions with Charlie and decided to go get some work done before dinner.
--Original POV--
"Are you alright Charlie?" Slowly he seemed to focus and nodded, before shaking his head still looking confused. "Come on." I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him around his parents down toward a familiar spot along the falls. "Now go ahead."
Charlie cautiously sat beside me next to a familiar candy willow, eyes still slightly wide in surprise. "What do I do?" it was the only thing he could manage, still surprised that his two best friends would be having a baby.
Charlie knew that the factory was his, and he knew he would be working along side that baby one day. He just didn't know what use he was until that point in time, he felt oddly helpless and confused at the same time.
"Ah…I see." I knew he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do until the baby could work with candy and closed my eyes relaxing against the tree. "Be a big brother…in a sense. That is if you want to be?" Slowly a smile alit his eyes, him nodding vigorously at this idea. "Oh and prepare to fight with my mom and Nelly over who gets to spoil the baby. Also prepare to have the baby hide behind you from feeling too overwhelmed…if anything like its father, the baby will be terrified of my family, especially Nelly's friends." Charlie giggled at this, leaning back next to me.
"What names do you plan on?" I smiled staring at the familiar candy surroundings I had come to call home.
I met Charlie's warm smile and shrugged. "Haven't discussed that yet…Willy was keeping it a secret, but I think he's got something up his sleeve now." I heard an amused sound beside me and noticed Charlie nod in agreement.
"Always." Charlie leaned on my shoulder in a familiar fashion staring across the room. "I'm glad you're both my friends. I get to add another friend to my family now." I nodded watching him scramble off hearing his mother talking to the grandparents.
Tug, tug
"Hmm?" Emilee had a broad smile on her face, watching Gilbert stumble over into my arm and curling against my side.
Mr. Cocoa Bean told you?
I nodded watching Gilbert play with my hair, glad to see him being his usual ambitious self again. "Yes he did Emilee…I'm happy." She smiled knowing very well I was more then just happy, I was excited, happy and thankful Willy felt the same way.
I'm happy for both of you…I can't wait until his first diaper experience though.
I laughed at that staring at the familiar notepad she kept handing to me. "Me either…I can just see his expression. I know he will be a great father though…he's the best man I have ever met and my perfect match. My grandmother would have loved him and tortured him just like mom."
"Not sure I like that idea…your moms enough." Both of us jumped turning to Willy who was casually leaning against the tree. "I couldn't work…had to come find my inspiration and protégée." I smiled patting the ground next to Emilee and myself.
"Inspiration is tired…and wonders what you are up to." He smiled seeing I was still too smart for my own good. "I know you have something up your sleeve…you've been to secretive all day and that was after you told me the news." He slid against the tree allowing my head in his lap and running his fingers through my hair.
"Why do I have to be up to something?" I gave him a look that stated 'because you are' and a familiar smirk slowly graced his face. "It's a sur-prise." I sighed closing my eyes in defeat, with that one word there was no way I would get it out of him.
"Let me guess…you plan on calling everyone we know and surprising me with some sort of big event?" He shook his head tweaking my nose, watching with an amused chuckle as I twitched my nose studying his expression.
I smiled up at twinkling violet eyes. "I knew I loved you…that means I won't get trampled by Hillary, Nelly, Addie, Fay, Mom, Aunt Margo and everyone else in between." I watched Emilee disappear with Gilbert in her arms and studied the chocolate river before me. "What's going through your mind?"
"Names." I smiled feeling his hand slide very gently across my abdomen before his eyes met mine a small smile curing at his mouth.
"Charlie asked on that…" I stopped considering what names I used to ramble off to amuse myself when I had my wedding planned at age five or so. "I had a few names for girls when I was little…don't laugh." I playfully poked at his arm, before continuing. "Gabrielle, Imogene, Ayanna, Kendra, and Kalliope." She noticed him smile at each of her suggestions before watching his expression go into a thoughtful look.
"Strange I did that before too." I watched his fingers lace with mine, before he glanced across the rich chocolate before us. "Baron, Galen, Ash, Draven, and Nicademus." To his surprise she didn't wrinkle her nose at a single one and appeared to like them all.
"I think we think too much alike Willy." Slowly I slid to my feet and turned watching his expression turn to one of curious amusement. "I'm ready for whatever you have up your sleeve…I hope." He climb to his feet wrapping my arm within his and started to the glass elevator.
"Somehow I get the feeling you aren't." I couldn't help but shoot him a curious look, I knew by then that his surprises tended to blow ones mind, and remembered I usually found my jaw situated at my feet.
