It wasn't until she was right outside those familiar gates, waiting for them to open and admit her, that it hit her like a brick in the face. Slugworth, the despicable scum who had stolen Wonka's secrets and manufactured them at much lower quality and price, was her father. Her stomach heaved unpleasantly and she stumbled out of the car just in time to retch in the gutter at the side of the road.

"Eww."

"Glad to see you too, Mr. Wonka…" She mumbled.

"You know, you haven't actually seen me yet…" He said, matter-of-factly. Veronica looked up; face suddenly quite pale and shining with cold sweat. The only thing she was thankful for at the moment was the fact that her hair had been put up in its tight bun. Wonka was now inspecting her car, but turned back for a moment.

"Wow! You look terrible! You know, I don't think I've ever seen anyone look quite that awful before…"

"Thank you…" She muttered sarcastically.

"Umm… When I said to return everything… I didn't mean everything you own. Are you coming to live with us and learn how to be a famous chocolatier?" Wonka asked, rifling through the trunk of her car.

"No. I'm running away from my problems." Veronica sighed. "Hence the getting sick in the gutter."

"Yeah… that was gross." Wonka muttered, half to himself, now inspecting old photo albums and tossing fragile looking items carelessly to one side of her trunk. "Eww." He shivered.

Suddenly, Veronica's sense of purpose came rushing back. She clambered up off her knees and stumbled over to the chocolatier, grabbing him by the lapels of his coat.

"Mr. Wonka, Slugworth…my father… the EHA… Blackmail! They want to take… Your factory… MY HOUSE!" All of this came tumbling from her in a rush as she practically shook the poor candymaker silly.

"Ummm… are you sure you haven't been eating any of my Crackling Rocket Pops? I may have left a few in the pocket of that coat, and their recipe definitely needs work…" Wonka said lightly, attempting to pry Veronica's hands from his coat. It wasn't going well. "All caffeine… and carbon dioxide…"

"I'm being blackmailed for your secrets." Veronica finally said, remembering how to string words together to make sentences.

"What?" With a rather unpleasant ripping sound, Wonka finally managed to remove Veronica from his coat.

"My father is Slugworth. He… ugh…" And Veronica stumbled away to be sick in the gutter again.

"Listen, if you're gonna do that every time we try to discuss this… I'd rather not talk about it, kay?" Wonka edged away, to the far edge of Veronica's car, wrestled with the decision of whether or not to be supportive, and then, grudgingly approached Veronica with the same care as an animal control officer approaching a raccoon with rabies. Veronica seized his forearm and pulled herself back onto her feet, wearily.

"He's teamed up with the EHA… they're both corrupt. They told me if I don't cooperate, they'll raid your factory. Slugworth… he owns the deed to my house…"

"Well, then you can come and live HERE. Like I've been saying all along." Wonka said slowly, as if speaking to an invalid.

"Not if they close your factory."

"They're not gonna close my factory. They can't do that."

Veronica looked at him incredulously.

"You're not gonna be sick again, are you?" He asked uncertainly, ready to snatch his arm back.

"What do you mean they can't do that? They're the European Health Agency; they can do what they want!"

"Geez, for working for them for six years, you sure don't know much, do you?" Wonka smiled cheerfully. "It's against the law for anyone, including the EHA to raid or seize property without probable cause and a written warrant from the police department. Now… warn me if you're gonna… do that… again." He looked at her apprehensively.

"I'll be fine. Oh, and don't ever let me say the words 'Slugworth' and 'father' in the same sentence ever again." Veronica moaned.

"I hate to burst your bubble, but you just did. And… for the record, 'Slugworth'…" Wonka gagged for a moment, then looked rather sheepishly back at Veronica, "Isn't a word. It's a name."

"Lovely, now can I come in and return your things and get cleaned up?" Veronica asked.

"As long as you promise not to do that anymore." Wonka gestured with his cane at the gutter, grimacing.

"I'll do my level best." Veronica smiled weakly, and let Wonka help her back to her car.