(A/N: CHAPTER FOUR HAS BEEN REWRITTEN SO READ THAT BEFORE YOU READ THIS!

Like I said, not sure if this makes it any better, but there it is, and on to the next chapter. You've already read the beginning, but the rest is new.)

"All this pain locked up inside of me/ On my knees I prayed you set me free/ I know you hurt/ But I really do understand/ I'm the one who held your pain when I became a man/ Speak to me so I hear somethin'/ Turn my eyes so I can see/ You touch fear and I feel somethin'/ Sweet salvation cover me/ Take me where I long to be/ Pick me up and carry me/ Oh I need your love/ It's such a long way home/ Even though I fall sometimes/ Nothin' here can change my mind/ Oh I need your love/ It's such a long way home"
-'Long Way Home,' Guardian (the greatest band in the world!)

Mandy rushed to the hospital, not knowing what else to do. She really didn't want to see a dying kid, but there was nothing for her to do there. Now that she thought about that, it made her sound rather sick. And Willy Wonka had been there for her while she was struggling, she might as well be there for him. No one else would be. She couldn't imagine what that would be like, going through that without anyone there for comfort.

But no matter how much this seemed to justify her going, it didn't help her at all or prepare her for what she was about to see. The nurses showed her the room without any trouble, something she hadn't been expecting, and when she went in there she found Willy Wonka sitting on his bed, holding Charlie as he struggled to breathe. She suddenly didn't feel right being there, so she stood outside the window, watching as Charlie slowly died.

The boy's face was burnt so bad, she almost vomited at the sight. He looked like he was in excrutiating pain, but in his eyes there seemed to be a sort of peace. Mandy stared at his eyes the longest, wondering how he could look so peaceful even if he was about to die? It was wrong, no one looked like that. She had seen many dying faces during the fire, and none of them looked like that. What was so different with him? She had it better off than him by a sliver because she wasn't dying, it made her feel bad.

Willy Wonka did not have that same look, however. He was scared, she could see it in his eyes. He was trying not to let Charlie see it, but she knew he was a wreck, holding him like that. Tears were rolling down his face, and he was trembling. If his face had any color to it, it would have vanished in that moment. Mandy began to regret coming even more, especially when Charlie noticed her. His eyes looked dirrectly at her, piercing, and it hurt her inside. Tears broke out on her face, and the boy's head fell back, the silence being broken by a loud piercing beeping sound.

Mandy would never forget what she had seen, and couldn't stand to see any more. As if on cue, her eyes seemed to fog up even more, and much to her dismay, it wasn't due to tears. Backing away from the window, she found a seat on the bench across from the room, drawing her knees up under her chin, sobbing silently, barely making out anything through the shadows creeping over her eyes.
----

That night, she returned to the factory long before he did and locked herself in her room, not coming out for the rest of that night. It wasn't till around three in the morning that Willy came back, looking ready to die himself. He looked exhausted, and hardly said two words to anybody. When Mandy finally came out of hiding, she couldn't find him anywhere. So instead she went to the Bucket's house, knowing it was time for her to go to work anyway.

The house was so much different when she stepped inside, however. Everyone was so quiet, more than before, and there were no smiles going around at all. Even Grandpa Joe stayed in bed, barely greeting her when she stepped in through the door. So she worked in silence, humming occasionally to break the silence. About an hour went by like this before Willy Wonka showed up, walking in through the doorway silently.

"Hi," he said softly. "Is Mandy in here?"

"I'm right here," she called softly from the kitchen, he turned so he could see her.

"Oh, all right. I wasn't sure if you were here yet or not."

"I'm here," she said. "Why? What do you want?" He noticed that she was just making eye contact with him, and bit his lip, knowing her sight was getting worse. He also noticed some strange design on her forearm that resembled a bat... or some sort of bird with a rose.

"Uh..." he muttered, snapping out of thought. "The oompa-loompa's are going to cook them supper tonight, so whenever you're done cleaning, you can leave."

"Okay," she said, feeling slightly relieved that the remaining Buckets were not left to the mercy of her cooking. There'd be no Buckets left if that were the case. Hearing Willy say anything without any bounce or spunk in it was so strange, and she hated it. Even the happiest person she knew was crushed, making her feel even worse.

He took his leave, not even saying goodbye or looking at her, and when she was done, she did the same, not knowing what to say to the Buckets. Walking down the long stretche of hallway, she ran her hand along the wall so she could feel her way through, and held another hand in front of her so she would feel if she was about to bump into something. It was dark, making it all the more difficult to navigate the factory, so it was no surprise that she nearly jumped out of her skin when someone caught hold of her hand.

Despite trying not to, she screamed, and heard a soft, "Ssh! Ssh! It's just me. Don't scream please." She caught her breath, recognizing Willy's voice, and calmed down at once. "My dear girl, what are you doing out here in the dark? Goodness, can you see a thing?"

"No," she said honestly. She heard him click his tongue, and he locked his arm with hers, leading her to her room. They were both silent, and when he opened the door for her, a small beam of moonlight helped her see things a little better.

"Here we are," he said softly. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"Something to drink please," she answered. "I don't care what." He left and returned shortly with two mugs of hot cocoa with a hint of mint. It was surprisingly refreshing, and she sat on the floor with her back leaning against the bed, Willy sitting down across from her.

"Is that a new sweatshirt?" he asked softly. "It looks nice." Mandy was silent for a minute before answering.

"It was my sister's," she answered, the pain hitting her like someone punching a bruise.

"I didn't know you had a sister," he muttered. "Older or younger?"

"Neither. We were twins. She was older by two minutes."

"Wow, twins? I've always wondered what it would be like to have a twin. Identical?" Mandy nodded. "That would be something, wouldn't it? Of course I'd get confused on which one was me, and between the two of us, I think most people in this factory who think one of me is bad enough."

Finally, he had said something light hearted, and she gave him a small grin, even though she hadn't felt like it. "We looked alike, but we didn't really act it. She was more athletic and I was the one who cheered her on from the sidelines. I think the only thing we had in common was a love for pizza and a hatred for green vegitables." Willy chuckled and nodded.

"You both had good taste," he said, smiling, seeming to forget about being sad. He still didn't know she had been there and seen the whole thing. The image of Charlie's head falling back was stuck in her head, and she would never forget it. "Are you all right?" he asked, noticing she'd been zoning for a while.

"Sorry," she said, shaking her head. "It's just... too weird," she muttered.

"What is?"

"This. Talking and laughing like this... like nothing's happened. Like people out there aren't dead, like that town is still in one piece. It's just... weird. It doesn't feel right." Whatever light she had seen pefore on Willy's face vanished, and she felt something inside her slap her for bringing him down.

"I know," he muttered. "This is all messed up isn't it? I never thought something like this could happen ever. It seems very unfair sometimes doesn't it?"

"You have no idea what it's like," she cried, wiping her eyes. She hadn't really meant it, but the words were out before she could stop them.

"Don't you dare say that!" he snapped, making her jump. "You think I don't know how unfair it is? Last night a boy, a young boy, died in my arms! And you know what? He wouldn't have been in that place if I had done something to keep him from leaving, which I could have." Tears had flooded and overflowed from his eyes. "I could have easily made up some excuse to keep him at the factory but I didn't. And now I've got that hanging over me, so don't you dare tell me what unfair is!"

Mandy was silent, tears just barely keeping from falling. Willy wiped his away and got to his feet. "He was just a kid," he said before leaving. "Kids aren't supposed to die"
----

Willy had stormed into his office, slamming the door behind him. He was fuming. and all from one comment, one, probably innocent, comment. 'You have no idea what it's like,' she had said. He had lost his heir, and part of that family he had grown so close to. What had she lost?

That was when he had to stop and think. Her mother was gone. He had never had a mother around so he threw that one out. Her father was also gone. He and his father, until almost a year ago didn't even speak with each other, so that was tossed out too. Her twin sister, that almost added up to him losing Charlie he supposed. So she had lost her entire family. And in thinking that something bit him. At least he still had a father.

Perhaps he had been too harsh. They both were miserable, and undeniably grouchy from barely being able to sleep. He had been wrong in shouting at her, he knew that for certain now. Standing up, he knew he should apologize instead of leaving their conversation on that note. But she wasn't in her room, he soon discovered. Before he could even wonder where she was, he spotted the note on her bed. She had gone to the Bucket house, it read, and he walked off in that direction, wondering what had possessed her to do that. His answer came the minute he opened the door.

Mandy was sitting on the bed next to Grandma Josaphine, head resting on her shoulder, Grandma Josaphine's warm arm over her shoulders, both of them in tears. She glanced up at him with hazy eyes, and he walked over there without saying a word, and pulled up a chair so he was sitting closer to her. Of all the places he had thought of going to for comfort, if he had thought of any, this was not one of them. There seemed to be too much pain around this place, and he had been avoiding it on purpose, feeling terrible about it too. He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it softly, tears falling down his face. No one really knew how long they stayed in there, barely saying anything over the tears. But in some strange way it seemed to help. Being in a sad place helped them as they all clung on to each other's hands, showing that they were there for each other.
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(A/N: I hate to do this, but this story is going to go on pause while Listen to the Rain is being posted. That story has been long awaited and you'll have to survive on that while I work on finishing this one. Don't worry! It's not the end of this story. Just think of it as an intermission. Thank you.)