A/N: Hello everyone! I am so, so, so sorry that I haven't been able to update this sooner. I should be strung up by my toes or something for not getting this out sooner, and I apologise greatly. But, in my defence, I've had a lot on lately. I had to take a huge break from all writing and study for my mid year exams...and ended up passing them with flying colours! [thank god...all those late night cram sessions paid off :P ].

Also, I've been suffering from a very severe case of writer's block. I had ideas to some point, but they just didn't want to be written down. They just played over and over in my head annoying the hell out of me until I literally forced myself to write them down.

Also, and I am never one to really make many excuses, but I recently lost my Uncle. So my entire family is still in quite a state of shock, so I've been trying to update in amongst all of this drama that has consumed my life. So, I apologise if this chapter isn't very good, but at least it's better than nothing, right?

I would also like to say that I am completely overwhelmed with the amount of favourites and alerts that I am getting for this story...I seriously didn't expect this story to ever, EVER make it this far...and I have all of you to thank. But please, don't hesitate to keep reviewing. Whether it's an idea or suggestion, or just a quick note to say that you liked it or didn't...they really do make my day.

Anywho, I hope you like the chapter anyways. I wish to dedicate it to my new baby cousin born just a couple of days ago, who, coincidently, is named Holly. :) So, without further ado...and as Willy would say; let's boogie!

Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or any of it's characters. I only own Natalie, Jackie, Alice, Tim, Holly, Daniel and a few other bits and bobs. Also, I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean or anything from The Notebook...except the book and DVD... I just love it :)

It was the sun shining bright that woke Natalie up the next morning. She sighed to herself and shielded her eyes from the blinding light that was escaping from behind the trees. As she turned to settle back to sleep, Natalie glanced up at Willy. His head was resting against the cab of the truck as he slept with his arm wrapped protectively around her. Nat couldn't help smiling to herself. It really was the perfect way to wake up every day. It was something she was definitely looking forward to doing for the rest of their lives.

Willy never told her what time they had to be back home that day. Natalie figured that it was still early, so she might as well get some more rest. Pulling the blanket tighter around them, Natalie settled down to sleep. However, not a moment had passed when she felt Willy shift beside her. A smile formed on her lips as she felt him place a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"Good Morning." he said. Natalie smiled and looked up at him.

"Morning." she said, reaching up to kiss him. Willy grinned and tightened his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. The two sat in silence for a moment, still waking up properly, watching the peaceful surroundings around them.

There was hardly a wind, with the exception of a slight breeze that moved through the trees quietly. The lake looked as if it was covered in a million glittering jewels because of the sun. It really was the most perfect place.

"What's the time?" Nat wondered. Willy moved a little and checked his watch.

"Almost ten." Willy said. Natalie sighed and cuddled closer to him.

"Do we actually have to go back?" she asked. Willy couldn't help but chuckle at her. He rested his chin on her shoulder and sighed. He could picture them just staying there like they were. No worries, no problems...nothing at all until they wanted to go back. But they knew it wasn't the case. He knew that they had to get back before it was too late for the other part of Natalie's surprise. There was no doubt that Alice, Tim and Daniel were already at the factory, awaiting their return.

"I'm afraid we have to eventually." he said. "In fact we should probably be thinking about getting ready soon."

"Alright." Nat said, sighing in defeat. But neither one of them made to move. Five minutes had passed and neither had moved an inch. The couple laughed.

"Seriously, though." Willy said. "Not that I don't enjoy just sitting here, but we need to start getting ready." Natalie sighed and nodded. She threw the blanket off her and got up onto her feet. She held out her hand to help Willy up. Once he was standing, Natalie moved to start packing up their things when her feet got tangled in the blanket, causing her to fall. Willy took her hand to try and help her but he couldn't steady his own feet. The landed on their backs in the bed of the truck, laughing.

"Are...are you okay?" Willy asked between laughs. He propped up on his elbow and moved closer to Natalie, making sure she was alright. Natalie giggled and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she said. Willy smiled in relief and pushed a piece of stray hair out of her eyes. Natalie smiled up at him as he leaned down and kissed her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Natalie deepened their kiss. After a moment or so, the two parted to catch their breath. Willy couldn't help but smile down at her. She was just beautiful.

"Alright, now we need to get ready." he said. Natalie nodded and took his hand to get up.

The two packed up everything from the night before. Natalie folded their blankets and stored them in the corner of the bed of the truck while Willy packed up the picnic basket and made sure they didn't leave anything behind. As they were ready to leave, they took one last look at the place; one last look at peace and tranquillity before heading back to their busy life at the factory. Back to creating and working and wedding planning and birthday planning.

Natalie sighed as they both headed into the cab of the truck. She rested her feet on the dashboard as Willy got in and put the key in the ignition. A funny chugging noise came from the car's engine before nothing. Both Willy and Nat looked at each other before he tried starting the car again. The sound came back just as before. Willy sighed and turned the car off.

"I think we have a dead battery." Natalie said. Willy took the keys out of the ignition and rested his head on the wheel. Natalie laughed a little and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"It's fine." she said. "All we have to do is call someone to come and help with the battery." Willy nodded his head.

"Have you got your phone?" Nat wondered. Willy nodded and pulled a small mobile phone out of his pocket. He handed it to Natalie and watched as she dialled home. She held the phone to her ear and waited for someone to pick up. Finally, she could hear laughter on the other line before someone answered.

Hello?

"Dad? It's me."

Nat? What's going on?

"Well...we've got a bit of a problem here."

What happened?

"Well...the truck's battery kinda died."

Ahh, I see. Well, I doubt any of the scooters will be strong enough to power it. I'll run down and ask Jimmy if I can borrow the van for a little while and I'll come and give you guys a jump start.

"That would be great, Dad. Thanks. We're just down at the..." But Nat couldn't finish her sentence. There was a strange sound on the other end of the line. "Is that...a baby crying?"

What? A baby? Course not, love. Your brother and Jackie must have the television set up too loud. Now, where did you say you were?

"Uhh...oh, we're down at the lake."

Alright, Nat. I'll head down to the store shortly, but I may take a while. Will you two be alright just hanging around there for a while? Probably at least another hour or so?

"Of course, Dad. We'll see you later then."

Alright sweetheart.

Natalie pressed the end button and handed the phone back to Willy, who was now looking at her expectantly.

"He's gonna try and get Jimmy's truck and come jump start us." Natalie said. "But he said that he would be at least another hour or so."

"So...we're stuck here till then?" Willy wondered. Natalie nodded her head. Willy smiled, which in turn caused Nat to smile too. The couple got out of the truck and decided that since it was such a lovely day, and since they were going to be there for a while, they would take a walk.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Noah put the phone back on the hook and sighed deeply. That was definitely a close call. He was surprised, yet relieved that Nat couldn't hear the laughing and chattering that was going on in the background during the phone call.

Be it his wife and Alice catching up at the kitchen table; Tim, Charlie and Jackie talking in the far corner; or George and Daniel conversing quite loudly over on the couch. It was all going well until Holly woke up from her sleep and began crying. Luckily for them all, Natalie bought the story about the television being too loud.

"What did Natalie say?" Helena wondered as Noah headed back to the kitchen table.

"The truck's battery died." Noah explained. "I'm going to head down to the store and borrow Jimmy's van to go jump start them."

He grabbed his coat off the hook and put it on. Kissing his wife goodbye, Noah said goodbye to the rest of the house before heading out the door.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Willy and Natalie walked hand in hand around the lake. The day's weather could not have been any better. The sky was blue, the sun was out and shining and it was rather warm. They had walked around, enjoying the day when they came across a tree.

"Hey look at this." Willy said, pointing several carvings on the trunk of the tree. Natalie looked closer and smiled as she saw the three hearts carved into the bark.

G M

G T

J B

J W

N B

H M

"I can't believe it." she said softly, running her fingertips over the initials of her grandparents and parents.

George Montgomery + Georgina Tomlinson.

Joe Bucket + Josephine Wilson.

Noah Bucket + Helena Montgomery.

From a young age she had been told about the lake, and this tree in particular, which bared the initials of all the couples in her family. They believed that those who engraved their names on the tree, were destined for a long and happy life together, which is why very few people actually knew of its existence.

Willy couldn't help but smile. It was amazing that something so simple could symbolise so much. Suddenly, he had a thought. He checked his pockets for something that he could use, but failed to find anything suitable.

"Damn it." he muttered, causing Nat to pull herself out of her daydream and turn to him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Well, I was looking for something to use, but I can't find anything." he said, smiling apologetically at his fiancée. Natalie smiled at the sweet gesture and leaned up and kissed him gently. It was then that she remembered something. She looked up into the branches of the tree, trying to spot what she was looking for. But at her height, she couldn't see a thing.

"Honey, do you think you could give me a hand?" she asked. "I want to check something."

Willy had no idea what she was doing, but agreed anyway. Natalie asked if he could give her a boost so that she could search in amongst the tree. Still not sure what she was doing, but curious to find out, Willy crouched down and once her foot was secure in his grip, he lifted her up. Once she was balanced, Natalie began searching around. She found a little nook within the tree and searched in their. Finally, she found what she was looking for.

"Okay, I got it." Nat said. Willy carefully helped her down and didn't let go of her till both of her feet were once again planted firmly on the ground. In her hands was a small pocket knife. It was rather old looking, as if it had been there for an awfully long time.

"Tell me that's not convenient." he laughed. Natalie smiled and nodded.

"My grandfather left this here after he made the first carving. It's been used ever since." she explained. Willy grinned and held out his hand.

"May I?" he enquired. Nat smiled and handed the knife to him before standing back to watch. Willy carefully opened the knife before studying the tree, looking for the perfect spot. Once he found it, he set to work on the carving. Nat stood back and watched with interest, waiting for him to finish. After a few moments of intense concentration, Willy stood back to admire his craftwork. There on the tree trunk was a brand new carving.

W W

N B

"You're amazing, you know that?" Natalie said as she threw her arms around his neck. Willy sighed.

"Well, I have heard it once or twice." he said. Nat smiled and kissed his lips lightly before taking his hand and continuing on their walk. They walked around by the lake once more before they arrived back at the truck. There was still no sign of Noah with the van. Nat sighed and took her shoes off. She sat down by the bank of the lake and rolled her jeans up to her knees before she dipped her feet into the cool water.

"Having fun?" Willy asked as he came and sat down beside her. He rolled up his pants and proceeded to put his feet in the water too. Natalie smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"It really is beautiful here." She said, smiling contently as she moved her feet through the cool water.

"You know, this would be the perfect time to go swimming." Willy said. Natalie sat up a little, as if contemplating something. Willy watched her with interest as he noticed a smile forming on her face.

"Yeah...it would." She said. Willy tilted his head to the side, wondering what she was thinking about.

"Uh-oh, I know that face." He said. "What are you planning?"

"I'm planning on going swimming." Nat said, as she got to her feet. Willy looked at her in disbelief.

"What?" he asked. Natalie simply smiled and pulled her sweater dress over her head, revealing a light blue camisole. Next, she unzipped her jeans and took them off, leaving her in her boy shorts. She put her clothes in a heap by the banks before diving into the lake.

Willy could only laugh as he watched the surface of the lake, waiting for Natalie to appear. After a few seconds, the surface broke and Natalie reappeared.

"You were right." She said, pushing her hair out of her face. "Perfect time to go swimming."

"Well, you have fun with that." Willy said.

"No way, I don't wanna swim alone." Nat pouted. Willy shook his head no. Natalie sighed and swam back over to him, resting her arms on the grassy bank.

"Come on, it's fun." She said. "It's better than sitting there all day waiting for Dad to come, while I'm in here having fun."

Willy looked down at her, seeing her trying not to smile as she pouted, giving him the puppy dog eyes. It was a card she rarely used...but she knew she had him when she did. Willy sighed and stood up, removing his jacket. When he was free from everything but his boxer shorts, he dived into the water. Nat laughed as Willy resurfaced.

"What did I tell you?" she asked.

"You were right." Willy grinned. Natalie smiled, pleased with his response as she swam around on her back.

"Although," Willy said, pushing his hair out of his face. "It would be better if my hair would stay back." Natalie laughed and swam over to him, assisting in clearing his vision.

"There." She said. Willy smiled in thanks as they both swam about for a bit.

"You know, I've actually been thinking about getting it cut." Willy told her. Natalie sat up a little.

"Really?" she asked. Willy nodded.

"I've had the same hair cut for...I can't even remember how long." He said. Natalie smiled and sawm over to him.

"This isn't another one of your freak outs about growing older, is it?" she wondered. Willy shook his head before pulling her closer to him.

"No, I've given up on those." He said. "You've made it pretty clear that you're not going to leave me over a grey hair." Natalie tried to suppress a laugh. After all this time, he was still paranoid about her leaving him.

"As ridiculous as that sounds, no I'm not going to leave you over a grey hair." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "But I think you look handsome regardless."

"Really?" Willy wondered. Nat smiled and nodded.

"Really really." She said, leaning in and kissing his lips lightly. Willy grinned as he leaned in for another kiss, but Nat had other ideas. With a second to spare, she ducked out of his reach and splashed him with water. Willy stood there in shock as Nat couldn't stop laughing.

"Right, that's it!" he said, making his way over to her. Natalie squealed and tried her best to swim away, but it was no use. Willy swam over to her quickly and picked her up bridal style in his arms.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The two swam around for a while, just playing and having fun [as childish as that may sound], enjoying the day and the beautiful weather as they waited for Noah to arrive with the van. They were now lounging on the bank of the lake.

Willy was stretched out onto the grass with his arms behind his head. Natalie rested her head on his chest, watching the birds and the clouds up above.

"Do you think that in another life, I could have been a bird?" she asked suddenly.

"What?" Willy wondered.

"A bird." Nat repeated. "Do you think I could have been one?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, like reincarnation or something." Nat said, sitting upright beside him. Willy laughed a little as he followed suit.

"I don't know." He said, scratching his head. Nat smiled brightly and rested back on her hands.

"I think I could." She said. She looked up at the sky and imagined what it would be like to be a bird; free to fly around, go wherever she wanted. She smiled to herself before looking over at her fiancée.

"Say I'm a bird." She said, leaning back on her knees. Willy looked at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"No." He said. Nat grinned wickedly.

"Say I'm a bird." She repeated. But Willy still refused.

"No."

"Say it."

"Stop it."

"Say it."

"You're not." Willy insisted, although he wasn't even bothering to hide the smile that was threatening to show. Nat grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing happily as he pulled her close, resting his forehead against hers.

"You're a bird." He relented. Nat smiled victoriously and nodded her head.

"Yeah." She said, kissing his lips lightly. "Now say you're a bird too."

Willy sighed overdramatically and grinned.

"If you're a bird, I'm a bird." He said. It was strange how something so simple; a few childish, nonsense words, could mean so much. Natalie smiled once again as he captured her lips in a kiss.

After a moment, the two heard the sound of a car horn. They looked up from their place on the grass and saw Noah pulling up in the van. Willy stood up from his spot on the ground before pulling Natalie to her feet.

"Hi Dad." Nat said as the two walked over to him. Noah grinned as he got out of Jimmy's van.

"Hi sweetheart." He said. He took a moment to look around the place, remembering the times he had spent down there with Helena when they were younger. "So Willy, what do you think?"

"This place is incredible." Willy said. Noah smiled reminiscently and nodded.

"Well, let's take a look at this truck, shall we?" he asked. The younger couple nodded and they walked over to the truck. Noah took a few minutes before going to the van and pulling out a pair of jumper cables. Natalie stood back as Willy went to try and start the car. After a chugging sound, the engine purred as it did the day before. Nat smiled happily as both her father and her fiancée returned.

"Well, that should do it." Noah said. "I better be getting back...and so should you."

Nat couldn't help notice that when her father said that, he sent Willy some kind of look. Willy nodded his head and thanked Noah for his help. After saying goodbye, the elder Bucket got back into the van and headed home.

Willy watched the van drive away before turning to Natalie. The girl in question had her hands crossed over her chest with her eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"What?" he asked.

"What was that?" Natalie asked.

"What was what?" Willy wondered innocently. Natalie rolled her eyes.

"That look my father gave you." She said. Willy looked deep in thought as he pretended to think about it.

"Still don't know what you're talking about, love." Willy shrugged. But Natalie wasn't convinced. Willy shook his head.

"Really. But he does have a point." He said. "It's quarter past twelve. We should be heading back."

Natalie sighed and nodded her head in agreement. As much as she wanted to stay, she knew that they had to get back. They were lucky enough to get a little set back with the truck not starting, giving them a little more time. But they had nothing to stop them this time.

As she stood deep in thought, she didn't realize Willy walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Don't worry. We'll come back soon." He said, as if reading her thoughts. Nat smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

They stayed like that for a moment, just silent. Finally, Natalie sighed as she went to make sure that they hadn't left anything behind. When they were sure, the two got into the truck and headed back home to the factory.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Back at the house, Charlie and Jackie were on the living room floor watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. It was only recently that Charlie had discovered another thing that his girlfriend and sister had in common; they both LOVED Johnny Depp movies. But then again, Natalie had always been rather fond of him.

'...If we don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks. So what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key what unlocks it?'

"Did any of that make any sense to you?" Charlie wondered incredulously, still trying to wrap his head around that last line. Jackie shrugged.

"It doesn't really matter." She said. "Captain Jack is that cool that he doesn't need to make sense."

Charlie rolled his eyes as he was about to return to the movie, when he heard something outside the house.

"I think they're home." He said to the others.

"About bloody time." Daniel scoffed. Helena went over to him and smacked him across the back of the head with a tea towel. Both Tim and Alice laughed from their spot on the couch.

The voices got louder until they could hear them coming up the path to the door. Everyone went back to acting normal, pretending that nothing was out of the ordinary. Not a moment later, the front door opened and Willy and Natalie came in.

"Hi everyone." Nat beamed, taking off her jacket. She didn't really take much notice of everyone before heading over to the coat rack. Charlie and Jackie said hello before pretending to watch their movie. Willy moved over of the way and sat down next to Noah at the table.

"Well, It took you both long enough to get here." A familiar voice said. Natalie's eyes widened as she spun around. There, leaning against the arm of the couch, was Alice.

"Oh my god!" Natalie said. Alice grinned and ran over to her best friend, practically tackling her in a hug. Natalie held her close, still in shock that she was actually here.

"You're here!" Nat said.

"We're here." Alice said. Nat's eyes widened even more at the mention of the others. She was about to question it when another voice spoke up.

"Forget about me already, Natty?" he said. Nat looked past Alice and saw Tim sitting on the couch, looking over his shoulder at them. In a moment, he leapt over the couch and over to the girls, swooping Natalie up into his arms.

"Look at you, gorgeous girl." He said, hugging her tightly. Nat smiled brightly as he let her go. She had a knowing smile on her face.

"Well, if the two of you are here...Danny's not too far behind." She said, scanning the room. Daniel's laugh was heard and her eyes wandered over to her Grandparent's bed where Daniel was seated beside.

"Come here you." Nat grinned. Daniel got up and walked over. Nat grinned once more before pulling him into a hug.

"I can't believe you three are here!" Nat exclaimed. "How?"

"Well, it was all thanks to Charlie and Jackie." Tim said. Natalie looked over in shock at the two teenagers watching from in front of the TV. Two huge smiles planted on their faces. Nat smiled and nodded for them to come over.

"I can't believe you both did this." She said, hugging both of them tightly.

"We thought it would make you happy, Nat." Jackie said.

"It has. Thank you so much." Nat said. She looked across the room and saw Willy watching on happily. She smiled and silently told him to come over.

"Well, I think proper introductions are in order." Nat said, taking Willy's hand. "This is Willy Wonka, my fiancée."

Tim smiled and stuck his hand out. Willy smiled and gladly accepted it. From what he'd heard, Tim was rather protective of Nat. So the fact that he was smiling and wanted to shake hands meant a great deal.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wonka." Tim said.

"The pleasure's all mine, but please, call me Willy." Willy said. "Mr. Wonka's my father." The others smiled and agreed. Next, Daniel stepped forward and the two shook hands. . Alice then stepped forward and the two hugged each other like they were old friends.

"Thank you for allowing this." She said. Willy beamed.

"Of course, it's no trouble at all." He said. "I'm glad you all could visit the factory again." The other three looked at him in slight confusion. Natalie tried her best to hold in her laughter.

"Uhh...yeah. Willy remembers that day." She said. It took a moment for realization to dawn. Alice's eyes widened as she smiled apologetically at Willy, but he waved it off.

"It's in the past. Besides, I have heard so much about you all. I'm glad we can all meet before the wedding." He said.

"Speaking of wedding," Alice said. "Why didn't you bloody tell us you were engaged?"

"To Willy Wonka, no less." Tim said.

"I did! I sent you a letter!" Natalie said. The three looked at each other in confusion.

"Doesn't matter now." Alice said, shrugging it off. "Let me see that ring!" Natalie smiled and held out her left hand, showing off her engagement ring.

"Oh, Nat! It's beautiful." She gushed. "Your man's got good taste."

"Before I forget," Daniel said. "Nat, I've got something for you."

Natalie looked at him in confusion as he pulled out his wallet. The others watched on as he took out a five pound note.

"What's this for?" Natalie asked as he handed it to her.

"You won the bet." Daniel said. Natalie laughed and shook her head. Alice and Tim were talking while this scene went on. Tim nodded his head and left to go upstairs to Charlie's room.

"There's someone else we want you to meet." Alice said. Natalie once again looked confused. But Alice simply smiled and waited for her husband to return. He did so a few minutes later, carrying something against his shoulder.

"She's wide awake." He said as he made his way over to the group. Natalie looked on as she saw that Tim was in fact, holding a small child. Natalie's eyes went wide.

"You've got to be kidding me!" she said. Both Alice and Tim smiled and shook their head.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Nat wondered.

"We tried. But it kept getting sent back because you moved here." Tim said. "I guess we're even now, huh?"

"Nat, this is Holly." Alice said. "Holly, this is Aunty Nat." The small child looked over at Natalie with a huge grin. Nat could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"She's beautiful." She said. Holly giggled a little as Tim handed her over to her. Nat smiled down at the child. "How old is she?"

"18 months. She'll be two in February." Tim said. Nat smiled as she held the small girl.

"Hello sweetheart." She said. "Gosh, you look just like your mummy, don't you?"

Willy couldn't help but smile as he watched Natalie with Holly. Suddenly he had a thought.

"Why don't we give you all a proper tour of the factory?" he offered. The other three agreed and they headed outside with Natalie still holding Holly close to her.

A/N2: Yay! Well, I hope this long chapter makes up for my absence. Seriously, I should be left out to all the wangdoodles and hornswogglers and snozzwangers and the rotten vermicious knids. But I hope you spare me :)

The next chapter should have some time between the old friends to catch up and all. I would love some ideas or suggestions for it. I have a few, but some more would be fantastic!

Also, what are your thoughts on a possible haircut for our favourite chocolatier? Let me know!

Much love

Taylor xoxo